.404  THORVALDSEN.  —  PLON  (E.). 
Throvaldsen,  sa  vie  et  son  aeuvre  P., 
1867,  in-4,  cart,  bradel  moderne.  (32/ 
pp.),  2  ill.  et  32  pi.  gravees  sur  bois. 


Ulrich  Middeldorf 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/thorvaldsenlifeOOplon 


THORVALDSEN : 
HIS    LIFE    AND  WORKS. 


PORTRAIT  OF  THORVALDSEN,  BY  HORACE  VERNET. 


Thorvaldsen  : 


HIS    LIFE    AND  WORKS, 


By  EUGENE  PLON. 


TBANSLATED  FBOM  THE  FMENCH  BY  L  M.  LUYSTEB, 


31llu0tratei3 

BY 

TWO  REPRODUCTIONS  FROM  STEEL  ENGRAVINGS  BY 
F.  GAILLAKD, 

AND  THIRTY-FIVE  OF  THE   MASTER'S    COMPOSITIONS,  DRAWN  BY 
F.  GAILLARD  AND  ENGRAVED  ON  WOOD  BY 
CARBONNEAU. 


THIRD  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


BOSTON: 
ROBERTS  BROTHERS. 
1892. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

ROBERTS  BROTHERS, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  "Washington. 


John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambkidgk,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE. 


In  publishing  this  work,  I  should  deprive  myself  of  a 
pleasure  and  fail  in  a  duty,  did  I  not  inscribe  on  the  first 
page  the  names  of  those  generous  strangers  who  have  so 
kindly  aided  me  in  m}'  labors  :  Herr  Professor  Thiele,  whose 
publications  are  a  mine  of  invaluable,  authentic  information  ; 
Herr  Professor  Mtiller,  author  of  an  excellent  catalogue  of 
the  Thorvaldsen  Museum ;  the  venerable  Professor  Hoyen, 
to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  man}^  useful  communications ; 
Herr  Emile  Wolff,  a  pupil  of  Thorvaldsen,  still  greatl}'  under 
the  influence  of  the  master's  teachings ;  and  lastl}'  m}^ 
friends,  Valdemar  Hoskioer,  Captain  of  Engineers,  and  Herr 
Fr.  Schumacher,  attache  to  the  minister  of  war,  who,  in 
interesting  themselves  in  m}^  researches  at  Copenhagen,  ren- 
dered my  task  easy  and  agreeable. 

The  Baroness  von  Stampe,  to  the  great  profit  of  my  book, 
ver}'  kindl}^  sent  for  me,  and  in  the  most  touching  manner 
communicated  to  me  all  her  reminiscences  of  the  illustrious 
artist  whose  old  age  had  been  protected  and  made  happy  by 
her  filial  affection.  I  beg  leave  respectfully  to  express  to 
her  here  m}^  deep  gratitude. 

Nor  ought  I  to  forget  the  kind  patronage  of  M.  Dotezac, 
French  envoy  extraordinary  and  minister  plenipotentiarj-  at 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


Copenhagen,  to  whom  I  was  recommended  by  M.  Feuillet  de 
Conches.  M.  Dotezac  kindly  presented  me  to  Herr  Vedel, 
the  under  Secretary  of  foreign  affairs,  whose  support  was 
invaluable  to  me  in  the  prosecution  of  m}^  investigations. 

Respecting  those  persons  in  Paris  who  have  aided  me  by 
their  encouragement  and  information,  I  fear  to  name  them, 
lest  I  should  appear  to  wish  to  make  them  share  the  respon- 
sibility of  a  work  of  so  little  merit.  But,  however  slight  this 
merit  may  be,  it  would  have  been  still  less  without  the  coun- 
sels they  have  given  me.  This  is  the  onh^  acknowledgment 
I  am  permitted  to  make. 


[The  following  translation  has  been  made  from  a  revised  copy, 
kindly  furnished  by  the  author.] 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 
LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 
CHAPTER  I. 

Page 

Birth  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  Early  Aptitude  for  Sculpture.  —  Stud- 
ies at  the  Copenhagen  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  —  His  First 
Successes.  —  Departure  for  Italy.  —  Voyage.  —  Arrival  in 
Rome  3 

CHAPTER  II. 

Effect  of  the  Antique  Statues  upon  Thorvaldsen.  —  Zoega.  — 
Pecuniary  Difficulties.  — Ill-health.  — Political  Troubles.  — 
Mr.  Hope  and  the  "Jason."  —  Anna  Maria.  —  "  The  Abduc- 
tion of  Briseis "  .23 

CHAPTER  III. 

Baron  von  Humboldt.  —  Ranch.  —  The  "  Adonis."  —  The  Two 
"  Hebcs." — The  "  Triumph  of  Alexander." — Grand  Duchess 
of  Tuscany. —  Baroness  von  Schubart. —  "Night  and  Morn- 
ing." —  The  "  Venus."  —  iEgina  Marbles.  —  Byron.  —  The 
"  Hope." — Princess  Baryatinska.~The  "  Mercury."—  "  The 
Three  Graces "  41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Miss  Mackenzie  Seaforth. — Illness  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  Stay  at 
Albano.  —  Convalescence.  —  Excursion  to  Naples.  —  Liai- 
son with  a  Viennese  Lady.  —  Departure  for  Denmark        .  63 

CHAPfER  V. 

The  Lion  of  Lucerne.  —  Reception  by  the  Academy  of  Copen- 
hagen. —  The  True  Kirke,  or  Church  of  Our  Lady.  — 
Journey  through  Germany. — The  Emperor  Alexander. — 
Monuments  of  Copernicus,  Prince  Poniatowski,  Prince 
Potocki.  —  Return  to  Rome  73 


TABLE  OF  CONTEJSTTIS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Page 

The  Prince  Royal  of  Denmark.  —Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria. — 
*<  Christ  and  the  Apostles."  —  The  "  Preaching  of  St.  John 
the  Baptist  "  — Consalvi.  —  Pius  VII.  —  Cabals  against 
Thorvaldsen.  —  Leo  XII.  —  Thorvaldsen  President  of  the 
Academy  of  St.  Luke  8i 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Monument  to  Appiaui.  —  Criticisms  upon  it. — The  Mon- 
uments to  Prince  Schwarzenberg  and  to  the  Duke  of  Leuch- 
tenberg.  —  The  King  of  Bavaria  in  Rome. — The  Grand 
Duchess  Helena.  —  Maria  Louisa. — Bust  of  Napoleon. — 
Medals  stolen  from  Thorvaldsen.  —  Journey  to  Munich.  — 
Bartolini  103 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Horaro  Vernet. —  Mendelssohn.  — Troubles  in  Rome.  —  Atelier 
and  Garden  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  Roman  Society.  —  The  His- 
tory of  the  God  of  Love.  —  Byron's  Monument.  —  Walter 
Scott.  —  "  The  Adonis."  —  Statue  of  Maximilian  I.  —  Mon- 
uments of  Gutenberg  and  Schiller.  — Departure  of  Vernet 
—  Cholera. — Thorvaldsen's  Return  to  Denmark        .       .  117 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Arrival  of  Thorvaldsen  in  Copenhagen.  —  Enthusiastic  Wel- 
come. —  Apartments  in  the  Charlottenborg  Palace. —The 
Friie  Kirke.—  His  Parsimony  and  Generosity.  —  Herr  Thiele  139 

CHAPTER  X. 

Baron  Von  Stampe  and  his  Family.  —  Thorvaldsen  at  Nysoe.  — 
His  Atelier  at  Stampeborg.  —  His  Statue  of  Himself.  — 
"Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem." — "Christ  bearing  the 
Cross."  — The  Poet  Andersen.  —  The  Grand  Cross  of  Dane- 
brog.  —  King  Christian  VIII.  —  Statue  of  Christian  IV.  — 
Wilkens  151 

CHAPTER  XL 

Departure  for  Rome.  —  Reception  at  Berlin,  Dresden,  Leipsic, 
Frankfort,  Mayence,  and  Stuttgart.  —  Banquet  given  at 
Munich.  —  "La  Societe  des  Hommes  sans  Gene."— Visit 
to  King  Louis.  — Sojourn  in  Rome.  —  Return  to  Denmark. 
—The  Artist  and  his  Museum.— "  The  Genius  of  Sculpture." 
—  Death  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  His  Funeral      .       .  .109 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


xi 


PART  II. 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 
CHAPTER  I. 

Page 

Influence  of  the  French  School  upon  Art  in  Denmark,  from  the 
time  of  Louis  XIV.  — The  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Copen- 
hagen. —  Revival  of  Art  in  Italy  under  Winckelmann        .  183 

CHAPTER  11. 

Theories  of  Winckelmann  and  Thorvaldsen.  —  Figures  of  Man- 
hood: "Jason,"  "Mercury,"  "Vulcan,"  "Hercules."  — 
Youthful  Figures:  "Bacchus,"  "Ganymede,"  "Cupid," 
"  Apollo,"  "  Adonis."  —  Goddesses  :  "  Venus,"  "  The  Three 
Graces,"  "Psyche,"  "Hebe."  —  Statue  of  the  "Young 
Dancing-Girl,"  and  that  of  "  Hope."  —  The  iEgina  Marbles  193 

CHAPTER  III. 

Heroic  and  Mythological  Bas-Reliefs. — Anacreontic  Subjects. — 
The  "  Shepherdess  with  the  Nest  of  Loves."  —  The  "Four 
Ages  of  Life  "  207 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Thorvaldsen  considered  as  a  Sculptor  of  Sacred  Subjects.  — 
The  Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles.  —  Friezes.  —  The 
Pediment  of  the  Frue  Kirke  of  Copenhagen.  —  Sepulchral 
Monuments  219 


CHAPTER  V. 

Thorvaldsen's  Rapidity  of  Conception.  —  Severity  of  his  Judg- 
ments upon  his  own  Works. — The  Fire  of  First  Inspiration 
tempered  by  Reflection.  —  Creative  Genius.  —  Cauova.  — 
Bartolini. — Error  of  Mme.  de  Stajl.  —  The  Scandinavian 
Genius  of  Thorvaldsen  applies  the  Principles  of  Greek  Art  229 


xii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CATALOGUE  OF  THORVALDSEN'S  WORKS. 
SACRED  SUBJECTS. 

Page 

I.    Statues  and  Groups   241 

II.    Bas-Reliefs   245 

§  1.  Subjects  from  the  Old  Testament   245 

§  2,  Subjects  from  the  New  Testament   246 

§  3.  Angelic  and  Symbolic  Figures   252 

m.   Sepulchral  Monuments   254 

PUBLIC  AND  COMMEMORATIVE  MONUMENTS   .       .  262 

MYTHOLOGICAL  AND  HEROIC  SUBJECTS. 

I.    Groups  and  Statues   267 

II.    Bas-reliefs   277 

§  1.  Mythological  Subjects   277 

§  2.  Heroic  Subjects   295 

ALLEGORICAL  COMPOSITIONS   301 

PORTRAITS. 

1.  Statues   306 

11.  Busts   308 

III.  INIedallions   316 

DIVERS  SUBJECTS. 

I.  Statues   317 

II.  Bas-reliefs   319 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 

Venus  facing  page  xvi 

Mercury  •      .      .             "  180 

Portrait  of  Thorvaldsen,  by  Horace  Vernet.      .  Frontispiece 

A  Genio  Lumen    2 

Hope   3 

Morning  -      .      .      .  22 

Jason   23 

Night   40 

Cupid  and  Psyche   41 

The  Nest  of  Loves   62 

Love  Victorious   63 

The  Ages  of  Love   72 

The  Lion  of  Lucerne  •      .      .  73 

Vulcan  forging  Arrows  for  Cupid   84 

Bacchus     85 

Horseman,  from  the  Frieze,  "The  Triumph  of  Alexander"  102 

Ganymede   103 

Cupid  reviving  the  Faintlng  Psyche   116 

The  Little  Dancing-Girl   117 

Cupid  and  Anacreon   138 

The  Three  Graces   139 

Winter   150 


xiv  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 


Thorvaldsen   151 

The  Genius  of  Death   168 

The  Angel  of  Baptism   1G9 

Figure,  from  the  Frieze,  "The  Triumph  of  Alexander"    .  182 

Psyche   183 

Achilles  and  Priam   192 

Adonis   193 

Alexander  in  his  Chariot,  from  the  Frieze,  "The  Triuiuph 

of  Alexander"   206 

Hebe   207 

Rebecca  and  Eliezer   218 

The  Christ   219 

The  Arms  of  Achilles   228 

Apollo   229 

Facade  of  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum,  Copenhagen  ...  241 

Pan  and  a  Young  Satyr   262 

(jupiD  and  Bacchus   267 

The  Princess  Baryatinska    306 


AUTHORITIES. 


Den  danske  Billedhugger  Bertel  Thorvaldsen  og  lians  Vcerker,  af  J. 
M.  Thiele,  t.  I-IV.    1831-50,  m-40. 

Thorvaldsen  o{/  hans  Vcerker.  ^Ny  Udgave.  Texten  forkortet  ved 
F.  C.  HiLLERUP,  t.  I-IV.  Med  205  Kobb.  (III-IV  ogsar 
under  Titel :  Thorvaldsens  Arbeider  og  Livsforliold  i  Tidsrum 
met  1828-1844.)  Kbh.  1842-57,  m-4".  Samrae  Voerk  med 
tydsk  Titel  og  Text.    ib.    1842-57,  in-4°. 

Om  den  danske  Billedhugger  Bertel  Thorvaldsen,  vcd  J.  M.  Thiele, 
1837.    Overs,  paa  Islandsk  af  M.  Hakonarson,  1841. 

Thorvaldsens  Biographic.  Efter  den  afdude  Kunstners  Brevvexlin- 
ger,  egenhoendige  Optegnelser  og  andre  efterladtc  Fapirer,  ved 
J.  M.  TiiiKLE.  1.-4.  Deel.  I.  Thorvaldsens  Ungdomshislorie 
(1770-1804). —  II-III.  Thorvaldsen  i  Rom  (1805-1839).  1.-2. 
D.  Med  Thorvaldsens  Portrait.  — IV.  Thorvaldsen  i  Kjobenhavn 
(1839-1844.    Kbh.  1851-56). 

Thorvaldsens  Museum.  En  Fremstilling  af  alle  Kunstnerens  Ar- 
beider, der  ere  samlcdc  i  Museet;  ordnede  efter  Afdelingerne, 
ledsaget  af  et  Omrids  af  Thorvaldsens  Livsforhold  og  Kunst- 
nervirksomhed,  ved  H.  P.  Holst.    Kjobenhavn,  1851. 

Thorvaldsen'' s  Jugend,  1770-1804,  vom  J.  M  TfflELE.  Aus  dcm 
Danischen  von  Hans  Wachenhusev.    Berlin,  1851,  gr.  in-8". 

Thorvaldsen'' s  Lehen  nach  den  eigenhandigen  Aufzeichnungen  nach- 
gelassencn  Papieren  undem  vlem  Briefwechsel  des  Kiinstlers,  von 
J.  M.  Thiele.  Deutsch  unter  MJiwirkung  des  Verfasscrs  von 
Henkik  Helms.  1.-3.  Bd.  ]\IiT  dem  Portrait  Thorvaldsen's 
nach  Eckersberg  in  Stahl-gestochen  von  Weger.  Leipzig,  1852- 
J85G. 


xvi 


AUTHOBITIES. 


The  Life  of  Thorvaldsen.  Collated  from  the  Danish  of  J.  M.  Thtele, 
by  R.  Barnard.    London,  1865. 

Description  des  ceuvres  de  Thorvaldsen  au  3Iusee  Thorvaldsen  et  de- 
scription des  collections  d'objcts  d'art  ayant  appartenu  au  maitre, 
par  L.  MuLLER,  inspecteur  du  Musee.  3  vol.  in-8".  Copenhague, 
1849. 

Bertel  Thorvaldsen,  a  biographical  sketch  by  Andersex.  Copen- 
hagen, 1845. 

Galerie  des  contemporains  illustres,  par  un  homme  de  rien.  M.  Thor- 
valdsen, by  De  Lomenie.    Paris,  1845. 

Thorvaldsen  the  Dane,  by  Madame  Fredkricka  Brun.  This  inter- 
esting memoir,  published  by  tRe  Morgenblatt  in  1812,  has 
served  as  the  basis  of  all  that  has  since  been  written  upon  the 
earlier  portion  of  Thorvaldsen's  life  (Nagler.) 

Article  Thorvaldsen,  in  the  Nouveau  Dictionnaire  universel  des  ar- 
ctstes,  by  Nagler. 


VENUS. 


PART  I. 

LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


A  GENIO  LUMEN. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Birth  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  Early  Aptitude  for  Sculpture.  —  Studies  at 
the  Copenhagen  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  —  Ills  first  Successes.  — 
Departure  for  Italy,  —  Voyage.  —  Arrival  in  Rome. 

When  tlic  toml)  has  closed  over  a 
great  artist,  and  the  lapse  of  years, 
exerting  a  softening  influence,  has 
moderated  both  admiration  and  envy, 
it  becomes  the  duty  of  his  contem- 
poraries to  gather  up  with  prudent 
foresight  all  facts  concerning  the  illus- 
trious dead,  while  his  memory  is  still 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  men. 

It  is  well  known  how  valuable  the 
biographies  bequeathed  to  us  by  Va- 
sari  are,  as  materials  for  a  history  of 
art.  We  have  no  intention,  however, 
of  undertaking  a  work  so  extensive 
as  that  of  the  Italian  author,  which 
includes  several  generations  of  cele- 
brated painters.  We  have  limited 
oiu'selves  to  the  study  of  the  life  and 
works  of  one  artist.  But,  in  the  nar- 
row field  to  which  we  are  restricted. 


HOPE. 


4 


LIFE  OF  TIIOnVALDSEN. 


we  have  neglected  no  means  of  obtaining  information, 
whether  from  persons  who  knew  the  master  personally, 
or  from  others  who  might  be  acquainted  with  any  facts 
respecting  his  habits  of  life  or  his  works.  We  have  col- 
lected everything  to  the  minutest  detail,  in  the  hopo  that 
the  materials  thus  brought  together  may,  one  day,  )e  of 
service  to  some  future  historian  of  art.  The  life  of  every 
great  man,  moreover,  has  a  character  of  its  own,  and  is 
worthy  of  study,  aside  from  the  interest  attached  to  his 
works. 

The  sculptor,  whose  life  we  propose  to  write  and  whose 
works  we  shall  describe,  pla^^ed  an  important  part  in  the 
great  revival  of  art,  which,  beginning  with  Mengs  and 
Winckelmann,  was  continued  by  David,  Canova,  and  Bar- 
tolini,  through  the  last  of  the  eighteenth  and  the  beginning 
of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Albert,  or  Bertel,i  Thorvaldsen  was  born  in  Copen- 
hagen, Nov.  19,  1770.  His  father,  Gottskalk  Thorvaldsen, 
was  a  poor  wood-carver ;  his  mother,  Karen  Gronlund,  was 

1  In  Danish,  Bertel  is  the  familiar  equivalent  for  Bartholomew.  Thorvaldsen  was 
BO  called  by  his  family  and  friends.  The  Italians  changed  Bertel  into  Alberto  ;  and 
by  this  name  he  was  known  to  all  his  acquaintances  in  Rome,  whether  Italians  or 
foreigners.  Biographers  do  not  agree  about  the  year  of  Thorvaldsen's  birth.  Some 
say  1771 ;  others,  1772.  But  the  artist  himself  always  assei'ted  that  he  was  born  in 
1770  ;  which  is  the  date  Herr  Thiele  has  given  in  his  Danish  biography,  and,  follow- 
ing him.  Nagler  in  the  JSTouveau  Dictionnaire  Universel  des  Artistes.  It  is,  by  a  very 
evident  typographical  error,  that  David  d' Angers,  in  a  letter  pubUshed  in  1S44,  which 
attracted  much  attention,  speaks  of  his  birth  as  occurring  in  1"79.  There  have  been 
mistakes  also  about  the  day  of  the  month.  Michaud  gives  the  the  9th  of  November, 
and  de  Lomenie  in  hi^  Galerie  des  Contemporains  Illustres,  jiar  un  homme  de 
rien,  the  29th.  Nagler's  only  authority  for  the  19th  is  Herr  Haste's  old  memorandum 
book.  Herr  Haste,  a  respectable  magistrate,  was  in  his  youth  a  playmate  of  Thor- 
valdsen. As  a  boy  he  was  in  the  habit  of  recording  the  birthdays  of  his  companions. 
In  reply  to  the  questions  of  Herr  Thiele,  he  stated  that  he  believed  that  he  got  the  date 
in  his  note-book  from  Thorvaldsen's  mother.  What  appears  a  good  reason  for  consid- 
ering tlie  19th  the  correct  date,  is  the  fact  that  Thorvaldsen  when  in  Denmark  always 
celebrated  his  birthday  on  that  day.  But  there  is  still  another  dilliculty.  It  is  not 
seven  cities,  as  in  Homer's  case,  which  dispute  for  the  honor  of  being  Thorvaldsen's 
birthplace,  but  two  islands  and  the  open  sea.    While  in  some  bioernphies  he  sees 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


5 


the  daughter  of  a  Jutland  peasant. ^  Gottskalk's  skill  was 
limited  to  carving  rudely  figure-heads  for  merchant-vessels. 
This  employment  barel}^  sufficed  to  support,  in  a  very  humble 
way,  his  family,  but  it  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the  mind  of 
Bertel.  While  still  a  child,  he  helped  his  father,  and  began 
to  carve  in  wood.  There  were  still  living,  a  few  years  ago, 
old  carpenters  who  recollected  perfectly  the  pretty  child, 
with  blue  eyes  and  light  hair,  who  used  to  come  to  see  his 
father  in  the  ship-yards  of  Copenhagen.  All  who  saw  the 
boy  were  attracted  by  him. 

Bertel  was  gentle  and  timid  in  disposition.  The  following 
anecdote  of  his  childhood  was  related  to  us  by  the  poet 
Andersen,  one  of  the  most  intimate  friends  of  his  latter 
years. 

the  light  first  in  Iceland,  David  d'xingers  (or  M.  Charles  Blanc,  rather,  who  lent  him 
his  pen),  De  Lomenie,  and  Michaud  assert,  on  the  authority  of  another  tradition, 
that  his  mother  brought  him  into  the  world  dui'ing  a  passage  from  llcjkjavick  to 
Copenhagen.  No  doubt  this  version  lends  more  charm  to  the  narrative,  but  it  is 
incorrect,  as  we  have  been  assured  by  the  friend  and  biographer  of  the  artist. 
Thorvaldsen  was  born  in  Copenhagen,  in  the  house  in  the  t^tore  Gronnon-G-ade, 
which  is  now  number  7,  but  was  formerly,  when  the  houses  were  numbered  by 
districts,  number  255.    Ilcrr  Thiele  was  kind  enough  to  take  us  there. 

1  Accordmg  to  the  learned  genealogists  of  Iceland  (John  'Es^olm,  Annals  of  7f^e- 
Zd/ifZ^,  Thorvaldsen  could  boast  of  an  origin  as  ancient  as  it  was  illustrious.  Tlioy 
trace  his  genealogy  back  to  the  eighth  century ;  for.  according  to  their  tables,  the  known 
ancestors  of  the  artist  were  descended  from  Ilarald  Hildctand,  king  of  Denmark, 
who,  in  consequence  of  the  civil  wars,  was  obliged  to  abandon  his  country  and  seek 
an  asylum,  first  in  Norway  and  afterward  in  Iceland,  where  one  of  his  descendants, 
Oluf  Paa  (the  peacock),  became  a  powerful  chief,  famous  in  the  sagas  of  Landol  and 
in  the  songs  of  the  hards,  who  praised  his  generosity  and  taste  for  the  arts.  This 
chieftain,  who  flourished  in  the  twelfth  century,  himself  carved  in  wood.  He  enjoyed 
great  celebrity  in  his  day,  and  his  fame  still  lives  among  the  Scandinavian  nations. 
One  might  say,  therefore,  that  Oluf,  after  the  lapse  of  several  centuries,  lived  again 
in  the  person  of  Thorvaldsen.  Such  long  descents  are,  however,  much  less  legendary 
than  we  might  suppose,  for  Iceland  is  the  classic  land  of  genealogies;  and  those 
which  do  not  go  back  farther  than  the  eighth  century  are  not  considered  worthy  of 
discussion  by  the  savans  of  the  North.  At  all  events  it  is  certain  that  in  the  four- 
teenth century  there  lived  in  Southern  Iceland  a  wealthy  man,  highly  respected.  Odd 
Petersen  by  name,  whose  family  and  descendants  almost  always  held  honorabl  ■ 
positions  in  the  civil  government  of  Iceland.  One  of  them,  Thorvald  Gottskalkeii. 
pastor  of  Myklabyc,  having  only  a  moderate  fortune,  sent  his  two  sons  to  Copen- 
hagen. The  elder,  Ari,  apprenticed  to  a  jeweller,  died  young.  The  younger. 
Gottskalk,  who  had  some  talent  for  wood-carving,  found  employment  in  the  shi])- 
yards.   At  twenty-seven  he  married,  and  he  was  the  father  of  Bertel.    fcee  Thiele. 


6 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


Bertel  was  pla3^iiig  one  day,  with  other  children  of  his 
age,  in  the  "  Kongens  Nj^torv,"  the  "  King's  New-Market," 
near  the  equestrian  statue  of  Christian  V,  who  is  repre- 
sented as  trampling  under  his  horse's  feet  the  monster 
Envy.i  His  mischievous  companions,  surprising  him  before 
the  statue  in  childlike  contemplation,  partl}^  with  his  con- 
sent and  partly  by  force  hoisted  him  up  on  the  horse,  and 
then  took  to  flight.  The  poor  bewildered  child  kept  as  still 
as  the  ro3^al  cavalier  himself;  and  a  comical  spectacle  it  must 
have  been  to  see  him,  with  his  red  cotton  cap,  riding  in  such 
illustrious  compan}^  But  the  gendarmes  were  just  passing 
that  way,  and,  like  true  gendarmes,  they  hastened  to  carry 
off  to  the  police-station,  not  the  authors,  but  the  victim,  of 
the  misdemeanor. 

Little  Bertel  early  manifested  a  precocious  taste  for  sculp- 
ture. Though  Gottskalk  had  no  art-education  himself,  he 
was  wise  enough  to  cultivate  carefully  a  talent  in  his  son, 
which  flattered  his  paternal  vanity.  It  is  not  probable  that 
the  honest  artisan  foresaw  the  glorious  destin}^  in  store  for 
his  child  ;  but  he  was  sensible  enough  to  see  that,  with  some 
knowledge  of  drawing,  the  son  might  one  day  do  better  than 
the  father.  The  boy  was  sent,  therefore,  when  he  was 
eleven  years  old,  to  the  free  school  of  the  Royal  Academy 
of  Fine  Arts  ;  and  in  two  j^ears  he  made  so  much  progress, 
that  he  was  very  soon  able  to  render  valuable  assistance  to 
Gottskalk,  whose  carvings,  thanks  to  his  son,  were  hence- 
forward distinguished  for  more  correct  drawing  and  some 
appreciation  of  form. 

Bertel,  however,  did  not  show  equal  aptitude  for  other 
branches  of  study  which  had  no  direct  bearing  on  his  voca- 
tion. During  the  six  3'ears  he  passed  at  the  school  of  Char- 
lottenborg  he  displa^-ed  so  little  zeal  that  the  chaplain, 
H63^er,  looked  upon  him  as  ver3^  deficient  in  elementary 

'  This  statue,  of  the  date  of  16SS,  is  in  the  mannered  style  of  the  sculptor  Abra- 
ham Cajsar  L'Amoureux. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


7 


knowledge,  and  when  the  time  came  for  the  pupils  to  pre- 
pare for  their  first  commmiion  put  him  in  the  lowest  class 
of  the  catechism.  The  distribution  of  prizes  at  the  Acad- 
emy occurred  at  the  same  time,  and  Bertel  obtained  as  the 
reward  of  his  application  the  small  silver  medal.  The  Co- 
penhagen journals  mentioning  the  fact,  the  name  of  the 
successful  candidate  attracted  the  notice  of  the  chaplain, 
who  asked  his  pupil :  — 

"Thorvaldsen,  is  it  a  brother  of  yours  who  has  just  taken 
a  prize  at  the  Academy  ?  " 

The  pupil  looked  up,  blushing  with  surprise.  "  It  is  my- 
self, Herr  Chaplain." 

The  priest,  who  had  come  to  look  upon  Bertel  as  quite 
a  dunce,  was  astounded  at  this  revelation.  He  changed  his 
tone  directly.  "  Herr  Thorvaldsen,"  said  he,  "  please  to 
pass  up  to  the  first  class." 

At  this  word  "  Herr,"  the  boy  was  electrified.  Hence- 
forward the  professor  always  addressed  him  by  that  title,  a 
distinction  which  gave  Bertel  a  position  apart  in  the  class, 
and  made  such  an  impression  upon  him  that  he  never  forgot 
it.  In  after  years,  famous  and  loaded  with  more  honors  than 
ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  an  artist,  the  master  would  frequently 
say  to  his  friends,  when  his  thoughts  reverted  to  his  youth, 
that  glory  had  never  been  so  sweet  as  on  that  day  when 
his  boy's  heart  thrilled  with  rapture. 

Thorvaldsen  was  seventeen  years  old  (1787)  when  he 
gained  this  first  prize.  Far  from  entertaining  an  exagger- 
ated notion  of  his  own  merit,  he  only  worked  the  harder. 
Calm,  serious,  reserved  even,  he  said  but  little,  and  when 
he  once  had  taken  up  his  pencils  and  set  himself  to  work, 
his  companions  found  it  difficult  to  divert  his  attention. 
We  have  said  that  his  father  intended  to  make  him  his 
partner  in  his  humble  toil,  and  the  young  man  willingl}^ 
yielded  to  his  parent's  wishes.  He  still  carried  to  the  ship- 
yard Gottskalk's  dinner ;  and,  while  he  was  resting,  Bertel 


8 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


would  take  up  his  chisel  and  correct  as  well  as  finish  his 
work. 

Two  years  later  (1789)  Thorvaldsen  gained  another  prize. 
A  bas-relief,  "Love  in  Repose,"  won  for  him  the  large  silver 
medal.  Gottskalk  now  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  son 
was  sufficiently  instructed  to  devote  himself  entirely  to  the 
career  he  had  chosen  for  him.  Bertel  made  no  objection,  but 
the  painter  Abildgaard,  who  was  his  teacher  at  the  Academ}', 
had  discovered  too  much  talent  in  the  boy  to  be  willing  to 
abandon  him  to  a  calling  so  unworthy  of  his  nascent  powers. 
He  was  sincerely  attached  to  his  pupil,  and,  while  his  fel- 
low-students were  trying  to  persuade  Thorvaldsen  to  re- 
main at  the  school,  the  professor  went  to  find  Gottskalk. 
The  two  had  some  difficulty  in  coming  to  an  understanding. 
The  father  anticipated  for  his  son,  if  he  kept  him  with  him, 
a  humble  condition  in  life  to  be  sure,  but  one  which  would, 
he  believed,  assure  to  him  a  certain  livelihood,  while  he 
looked  upon  a  more  ambitious  career,  in  which  he  could 
no  longer  follow  him,  as  an  unknown  path,  fraught  with 
dangers. 

It  was  nevertheless  decided  that  the  young  man  should 
divide  his  time  in  two  nearly  equal  portions,  one  to  be  de- 
voted to  academic  studies,  so  that  he  might  have  a  basis  of 
solid  knowledge  to  aid  him  in  his  profession,  the  other  to 
the  labor  by  which  he  was  to  eai'u  his  daily  bread.  He  still 
continued  to  live  with  his  parents,  in  a  little  house  in  Aaben- 
raa,  and  contrived  to  satisfy  both  his  father^  and  Abildgaard. 
Bertel  now  began  to  sketch  in  relief  and  carve  detached 
figures  in  stone.  His  first  work  worthy  of  mention  is  a 
medallion  of  the  Princess  of  Denmark,  made  in  1790,  from 

1  A  large  wooden  clock,  bequeathed  to  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum  several  years  ago, 
and  placed  in  the  room  devoted  to  the  sculptor's  furniture,  is  a  work  of  this  period. 
The  shield,  bearing  the  arms  of  Denmark,  above  the  door  of  the  Royal  Dispensary, 
was  jointly  carved  by  father  and  son.  A  more  artistic  work,  which  they  also  ex- 
ecuted together,  is  the  group  of  four  lions  around  a  circle  in  front  of  the  entrance- 
way  to  the  gardens  of  Fredericsberg  Castle,  the  summer  residence  of  the  sovereign. 


LIFE  OF  TIIOEVALDSEJSr. 


9 


a  poor  picture ;  for  the  young  artist  could  only  have  had  a 
glimpse  of  the  princess  in  passing.  This  portrait  was,  how- 
ever, a  great  success,  and  the  resemblance  is  so  striking  that 
the  dealer  who  bought  the  model  disposed  of  a  considerable 
number  of  copies. 

Thorvaldsen  worked  usually  from  the  designs  of  other 
artists,  and  especialty  from  those  of  his  teacher  Abildgaard. 
A  woman  holding  a  telescope,  placed  on  the  pediment  of  a 
building  near  the  Custom  House,  was  executed  from  a  de- 
sign of  the  painter  Nicholas  AYolff. 

The  slightest  efforts  of  an  artist  of  real  merit  are  deserving 
of  notice,  because  they  are  the  experimental  attempts  of  a 
mind  seeking  its  true  direction.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
we  mention  some  productions  of  the  young  sculptor  which 
otherwise  would  not  be  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  enumeration 
of  his  works.  "  Love  in  Repose,"  for  example,  which,  from 
a  reverent  respect,  is  preserved  in  the  museum  of  the  master, ^ 
is,  in  fact,  no  more  than  the  work  of  a  promising  beginner. 
The  Academy  possesses  the  other  bas-reliefs  for  which  the 
young  Thorvaldsen  obtained  his  early  prizes ;  the  first  is 
"  The  Expulsion  of  Heliodorus  from  the  Temple." 

Bertel  prepared  himself  for  the  approaching  competitive 
examination,  in  company  with  several  of  his  friends,  young 
men  of  his  own  age.  With  this  end  in  view  they  met 
once  a  week  and  practised  at  composing  subjects,  taken 
for  the  most  part  from  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 
While  his  comrades  were  discussing,  Thorvaldsen,  ever  more 
inclined  to  act  than  to  talk,  would  be  already  bus}^  with  his 
clay,  or  perhaps  his  bread,  and  before  the  others  had  settled 
the  questions  about  which  they  were  arguing,  he  would  have 
finished  his  model.  This  trait  is  characteristic ;  it  shows 
the  artist's  turn  of  mind.  Throughout  his  whole  life  he  pre- 
ferred to  apply  rather  than  discuss  the  theories  of  which  he 


1  This  bas-relief  is  in  one  of  the  underground  galleries. 


lO 


LIFE  OF  TIIOEVALDSEN. 


approved.  We  shall  find  that  he  left  behind  him  no  written 
expression  of  his  views  upon  art ;  and  there  is  nothing  in 
his  few  hitters  to  show  that  he  ever  thought  of  attempting  to 
expound  its  principles .  He  translated  his  ideas  into  marble  ; 
it  was  with  the  chisel,  never  with  the  pen,  that  he  expressed 
the  force  of  his  convictions. 

But  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  now  writing,  he  was  far 
from  thinking  he  had  nothing  more  to  learn.  Naturalh' 
diffident,  he  distrusted  his  own  powers,  and  did  not  conceal 
his  dread  of  the  approaching  competition  from  his  fellow- 
students,  who  at  last  made  his  fears  the  subject  for  raillery. 

Nevertheless,  upon  the  1st  of  June,  1791,  he  presented 
himself  with  the  rest,  and  when  the  subject  was  given  re- 
tired to  his  work-room.  But  he  was  scarcel}"  installed  there 
before  he  was  seized  with  fright,  and  stole  out  by  a  private 
stairway.  Just  as  he  was  escaping,  he  was  met  by  one  of 
the  i^rofessors,  who  scolded  him  gently,  and  by  a  few  kind 
words  encouraged  him  to  go  back.  The  young  man,  a  little 
ashamed  of  his  escapade,  obe^'ed,  and  set  himself  to  work 
with  so  much  earnestness  that  in  the  space  of  four  hours  he 
had  finished  the  sketch  of  Heliodorus,  which  gained  for  him 
the  small  gold  medal. 

Looking  at  this  work  to-day,  we  can  scarcel}^  conceive  how 
Thorvaldsen  could  have  been  the  author  of  it.  In  its  excel- 
lences, as  well  as  in  its  defects,  this  bas-relief  is  entirely  out 
of  harmon}^  with  the  other  works  of  the  master.  It  is  fre- 
quentl}'  the  case,  however,  that  artists  begin  by  following  the 
traditions  of  the  schools.  They  cannot,  in  their  youthful 
inexperience,  do  otherwise.  It  is  only  when  they  have  mnde 
themselves  known  b}'  some  work  in  conformity  to  the  taste 
of  their  day,  that,  encouraged  b}^  their  first  success,  they 
can  cast  olf  their  fetters  and  strike  out  a  new  path  for 
themselves. 

In  "  Heliodorus,"  the  composition  is  wanting  in  dignity, 
tlie  scene  is  confused,  and  the  figures  have  no  naturalness  ; 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


but  the  work  was  in  accordance  with  the  ideas  of  the  times, 
and  the  execution  showed  talent  enough  in  the  young  artist 
to  attract  the  attention  of  his  contemporaries.  The  Minister 
of  State,  Herr  Detler  von  Reventlow,  noticed  the  bas-relief 
and  had  it  cast.  He  encouraged  Tliorvaldsen,  and  headed  a 
subscription,  set  on  foot  by  the  painter  Wolff,  to  obtain  for 
the  sculptor  the  leisure  necessary  for  the  completion  of  his 
studies.  It  was  the  wish  of  his  patrons  that  he  should  turn 
his  attention  to  subjects  drawn  from  pagan  antiquit3\  Bertel 
accordingly  composed  "  Priam  begging  Achilles  for  the  Body 
of  Hector."  ^  Thorvaldsen  treated  the  same  subject  in  a 
later  composition,  but  ver}^  differently.  It  is  interesting  to 
compare  the  youthful  effort  with  the  mature  and  masterly 
work.  The  first  is  commonplace  :  an  old  man  is  kneeling,  a 
young  man  raises  him  with  kindness.  But  there  is  nothing 
to  indicate  at  first  sight  who  the  personages  are,  nor  is  there 
an3^thing  dramatic  in  the  action.  What  grandeur,  on  the 
contrar}^,  and  what  energy  in  the  second  !  This  old  man  is 
Priam,  the  unhappy  father  of  Hector ;  this  warrior,  with 
steadfast  gaze  and  frowning  brow,  is  Achilles ;  we  feel  that 
his  breast  is  swelling  with  that  terrible  wrath  which  the  poet 
sings.  Will  he  yield  to  pity  ?  or  will  he  be  unmoved  by  a 
father's  immeasurable  grief!  The  companions  of  the  hero 
await  the  end  with  anxiet3\  And,  to  produce  so  striking  an 
effect,  the  artist  has  not  had  recourse  to  forced  attitudes  ; 
the  composition  is  simple,  and  all  the  figures  are  natural. 
Still  the  first  work  is  not  wholly  without  merit.  It  is  said 
that  Bishop  Frederic  Miinter,  a  man  of  taste  and  judgment, 
was  so  satisfied  on  this  point  that  he  predicted  Thorvaldsen 
would  become  one  of  the  great  sculptors  of  his  age.  Com- 
pared with  the  "  Heliodorus,"  "Priam"  shows  a  marked 
progress,  especially  in  a  certain  degree  of  simplicity  and 


1  This  work,  when  he  left  Copenhagen  for  Rome,  he  gave  as  a  parting  gift  to  the 
engraver  Lahde.  It  was  afterwards  purchased  by  the  Danish  Government  and 
placed  in  the  Academy's  collection. 


12 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


naturalness.  We  begin  to  see  how  the  study  of  the  an- 
tique is  finally  to  give  the  talent  of  the  artist  its  true 
direction. 

At  the  same  period,  Thorvaldsen  modelled  a  smaller  bas- 
relief,  "  Hercules  and  Omphale"  ;  and  in  1793  he  competed 
for  an  important  prize,  the  result  of  which  was  to  decide, 
in  a  great  measure,  his  future  career.  If  he  obtained  the 
great  gold  medal,  he  would  be  entitled  to  travel  three  years 
at  the  expense  of  the  Academy.  In  now  presenting  him- 
self as  a  candidate,  he  had  no  longer  any  apprehension, 
though  he  was  not  sustained  by  a  presumptuous  confidence. 
"  Saint  Peter  healing  the  Paralytic  "  gained  him  the  grand 
prize. 1 

Some  biographers  have  represented  Thorvaldsen  as  wholly 
uninstructed  at  this  period.  It  is  clear  that  this  statement 
is  exaggerated.  The  professors  of  the  Academ}^  were  ac- 
customed to  give  their  pupils  the  best  works  in  sculpture 
and  design  as  models  for  study;  and  in  the  "  Saint  Peter" 
we  already  detect  signs  of  an  imitation,  and  a  sort  of 
reminiscence  of  the  compositions  of  Raphael.  We  shall 
see  farther  on  that  all  the  religious  works  of  the  sculptor 
show  marks  of  this  admiration  for  the  great  painter,  just  as 
his  statues  and  bas-reliefs  from  pagan  subjects  are  imbued 
with  the  spirit  of  Greek  antiquity.  At  the  same  time,  it 
is  only  right  to  say  that  outside  of  the  special  knowledge 
acquired  in  pursuit  of  his  art,  Thorvaldsen  was  profoundly 
ignorant.  Literature  and  history  were  almost  sealed  books 
to  him,  and  at  no  period  of  his  life  was  he  a  man  of  literary'' 
culture. 

The  pension  attached  to  the  grand  prize  for  sculpture, 
which  allowed  the  successful  competitor  to  travel  three  3-ears, 
was  then  held  b}"  another ;  and,  while  waiting  for  it,  Thor- 
valdsen remained  in  Copenhagen.    To  enable  him  to  continue 

1  This  bas-relief  is  in  the  Academy. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


13 


his  studies,  the  Academy  granted  him  pecuniar}^  assistance 
for  two  3'ears.  As  he  was  also  able  to  get  some  emplo}^- 
ment,  he  was,  therefore,  in  tolerably  easy  circumstances. 
He  drew  vignettes  for  the  publishers,^  taught  modelling  to  a 
certain  number  of  wealthy  persons,  and  gave  lessons  in  draw- 
ing. He  also  took  some  portraits,  mostly  drawn  on  parch- 
ment and  slightl}^  colored.^ 

A  few  medallion  portraits,  one  of  the  painter  Wolff,  and 
another  of  the  phj^sician  Herr  Saxtorff,  are  works  of  this 
period;  also  two  bas-reliefs,  "The  Seasons"  and  "The 
Hours,"  from  designs  by  Abildgaard,  and  four  original  com- 
positions,—  a  "Euterpe,"  a  "Terpsichore,"  and  two  other 
Muses. 

The  painter  Abildgaard,  to  w^hom  belongs  the  honor  of 
being  the  first  to  discover  and  encourage  Thorvaldsen's 
talent,  nevertheless  exercised  over  him  but  little  influence. 
This  artist,  who  was  full  of  mannerisms,  enjoyed  a  popularity 
not  at  all  surprising  at  this  epoch.  Without  doubt,  Thor- 
valdsen's earliest  works  necessarily  show  marks  of  his  mas- 
ter's teachings.  This  is  particularly  noticeable  in  a  small 
group,  one  of  his  most  3'outhful  efforts,  and  extremely  me- 
diocre, representing  a  woman  seated  and  giving  drink  to  two 
young  boys,  whose  attitudes  are  YQYy  unnatural. 

But  while  the  sculptor,  as  soon  as  he  had  conquered  his 
hesitation  and  gained  confidence,  boldly  diverged  from  the 
style  of  his  master,  he  still  retained  in  his  drawings  (and  this 
is  ver}^  remarkable)  Abildgaard's  mode  of  working,  for  this 
painter  drew  from  nature  with  much  talent.  There  are  in 
the  rooms  of  the  Academ}^  some  large  anatomical  studies  by 
him  which  are  truly  fine.    Though  the  attitudes  are  in  gen- 

1  Thalia,  by  Haste;  Tales  of  the  North,  by  Suhm;  Prose  Essai/s,  by  Ilah- 
bcck. 

2  Some  of  these  portraits  have  been  found.  Herr  Thiele  owns  a  little  black 
Kilhouctte.  pleasing  and  delicate,  of  the  young  Bertel,  drawn  by  himself  and  given  to 
liis  friund  the  flo-"'er-painter  Fritsch. 


14 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


eral  forced,  the  drawing  is  firm,  correct,  and  sharp.  To  the 
end  of  his  life  Thorvaldsen  drew  according  to  the  principles 
which  Abildgaard  had  inculcated. 

In  his  youth  Bertel  talked  but  little,  and  his  clear  eye  was 
not  exempt  from  a  certain  melancholy  difficult  to  explain. 
Naturally  timid,  and  unused  to  societj^,  his  was  not  an  ex- 
pansive nature ;  he  was  indolent  too,  except  in  matters 
appertaining  to  sculpture  ;  and  if  he  learned  anything  beyond 
his  art,  it  was  by  observation  only,  or  by  intercourse  with 
educated  men.  The  last  years  which  he  passed  at  Copenha- 
gen before  his  departure  for  Rome,  modified  somewhat  the 
excessive  reserve  of  which  he  might  hitherto  have  been 
accused,  and  he  who  until  then  had  never  been  known  to 
laugh  often  participated  in  the  gayety  of  his  comrades. 

Two  3^ears  had  now  elapsed  since  Thorvaldsen  had  ob- 
tained the  grand  prize  for  sculpture,  and  still  the  pension 
which  was  to  give  him  the  means  of  travelling  was  not  jQi 
at  his  command.  Meanwhile,  the  term  for  which  the  Acad- 
emy had  granted  him  pecuniary  aid  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
He  petitioned  that  this  aid  might  be  continued  for  a  3'ear 
longer,  and  presented  at  the  same  time  to  the  Academy  a 
small  bas-relief,  "  Numa  consulting  the  nymph  Egeria,"i 
rather  a  graceful  work,  but  still  marred  by  the  forced  atti- 
tude of  the  figures.  His  petition  was  granted,  and  he  re- 
ceived also  the  assurance  that  the  pension  would  be  his  the 
following  3'ear. 

While  remaining  at  Copenhagen,  he  modelled  the  bust  of 
the  Minister  of  State,  Ilerr  von  Bernstoff*,  for  Herr  von  Re- 
ventlow.  He  had  never  seen  the  minister,  and  was  obliged 
to  work  from  a  painted  portrait ;  but  for  the  last  few  touches 
he  obtained  from  him,  with  difficult}^,  a  sitting  of  a  few 
moments.  He  was  nevertheless  successful  in  getting  a  like- 
ness.   The  work  is  also  fairly  executed.     He  undertook, 


1  In  one  of  the  basement  galleries  of  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


15 


under  much  more  favorable  circumstances,  the  bust  of  the 
Counsellor  of  State,  Tyge  Rothe.  These  two  works  are  the 
first  in  order  of  date  now  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Though  the  models  were  finished  at  Copenhagen,  he  did  not 
put  them  into  marble  until  after  his  arrival  at  Rome. 

The  20th  of  Ma}^,  1796,  Thorvaldsen  embarked  on  the 
"Thetis,"  for  Naples.  The  artist,  who  was  never  to  see  his 
parents  ^  again,  left  his  country  recommended  to  the  captain, 
Ilerr  Fisker,  by  the  Count  von  Bernstofi",  and  furnished  with 
a  few  letters  for  Rome.  The  voyage  was  long  and  tedious. 
After  cruising  in  the  North  Sea,  the  "Thetis*'  touched  at 
Malaga,  Algiers,  and  then  at  Malta,  where  she  was  obliged 
to  submit  to  a  severe  quarantine.  After  again  setting  sail, 
she  encountered  on  her  way  to  Tripoli  a  violent  storm,  and 
had  to  put  back  to  Malta  for  repairs. 

Ever  disposed  to  reject  all  study  but  that  of  sculpture, 
Thorvaldsen  lived  on  board  in  complete  idleness.  His  time 
was  passed  in  conversation,  or  oftener  in  reverie,  and  his  sole 
occupation  was  jotting  down  in  a  sketch-book  a  few  notes, 
which  illustrate  the  young  artist's  simplicity  of  character. 
From  this  sketch-book,  preserved  in  the  Museum  with  many 
other  papers,  we  make  a  few  extracts. 

MAI.TA,  18  December,  1796. 

At  quarantine.  —  Morning  as  fine  as  one  can  imagine.  We  have 
just  been  told  that  we  are  disinfected  and  free.  The  cold  is  not  quite 
so  sharp  as  it  is  with  us  on  a  fine  autumn  morning.  With  the  knight 
who  brought  the  good  news  came  seven  boat-loads  of  musicians  of 
all  kinds ;  they  took  their  stations  under  our  cabin  windows,  and 
regaled  us  with  what  doubtless  these  people  know  how  to  do  best. 
It  is  not  good,  and  yet  not  altogether  bad.  But  the  beautiful  morn- 
ing, the  novelty,  the  hatred  and  distrust  of  the  Maltese,  all  at  once 
changed  into  friendship  and  careless  security;  above  all,  the  old 
dream  of  Italian  music  on  the  water,  realized  more  or  less  before  my 


1  His  mother  died  in  1804,  and  bis  father  in  1806. 


i6 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


eyes,  all  combined  made  it  seem  to  my  ears  the  most  delicious  music, 
although  it  consisted  for  the  most  part  of  serenade  airs,  which  are 
rarely  played  at  a  fitting  time  or  place. 

Malta,  16  January,  1797. 

At  five  o'clock  this  afternoon  I  leave  the  frigate,  which  goes  hence 
to  Tripoli.  Seated  in  the  cutter,  I  am  pained  to  see  her  disappear. 
I  can  scarcely  hide  my  tears  from  the  vice-consul,  who  with  the  pilot 
and  another  man,  a  stranger,  is  in  the  boat  with  me.  I  jump  on 
shore.  The  pilot  points  out  to  me  the  captain  of  the  "  Speronara," 
with  whom  I  am  to  sail  for  Palermo.  He  comes  back  immediately. 
He  tries  to  console  me  when  he  notices  my  dejection.  I  sup  at  his 
house ;  he  then  shows  me  my  lodgings,  which  will  do  very  well. 

17  January. 

I  go  to  bed,  and  at  last  to  sleep.  My  host  comes  to  wake  me,  me 
and  Hector,  my  dog;  he  embraces  me  afiectionately.  I  leave  the 
house  and  go  on  board  the  "Speronara,"  for  a  change  of  linen; 
thence  to  the  Danish  brig  to  see  the  captain,  but  he  is  on  shore.  I 
go  back  to  my  lodgings ;  on  the  way,  Hector  plays  his  pranks,  chases 
the  goats,  who  jump  and  caper.  He  trips  up  a  little  girl  carrying  a 
baby,  but  does  no  harm.  Then  he  knocks  down  a  little  boy ;  every- 
body laughs. 

These  notes  show  the  natural  kind-heartedness  of  the 
young  Scandinavian.  There  is  no  doubt  that  he  was  deeply 
moved  by  music,  statues,  and  pictures ;  but  the  exploits  of 
Hector  he  cannot  forget.  Hector  trips  up  a  little  girl  with- 
out hurting  her ;  he  knocks  down  a  little  boy,  and  people 
laugh !  Truly  he  is  a  dog  worthy  of  his  name.  Like  all 
dreamers,  Thorvaldsen  loves  this  sympathetic  animal,  whose 
discreet  familiarity  never  interrupts  the  current  of  his  ideas. 
A  dog  is  always  ready  for  play  when  weary  with  thinking  we 
seek  to  be  diverted.  Where  find  a  friend  more  patient,  more 
accommodating,  more  content  to  be  quiet,  more  ready  for 
society  and  sport  ?  What  better  friend  for  the  poet  who  is 
composing  his  verses,  or  for  the  sculptor  whose  imagination 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


17 


is  perfecting  a  masterpiece  ?  The  dogs  of  Thorvaldsen  ought 
to  have  a  place  in  his  biograph}'. 

The  captain  of  the  "  Thetis,"  who  had  promised  to  watch 
over  Thorvaldsen,  was  as  good  as  his  word.  He  became 
fond  of  the  young  artist  who,  as  we  have  alread}'  seen,  was 
distressed  at  parting  with  him.  Nevertheless  the  captain, 
who  had  led  a  hard  and  active  life,  did  not  approve  of  the 
idleness  of  his  youthful  charge.  In  a  letter  to  his  wife  dated 
Malta,  Dec.  29,  1796,  he  writes  :  — 

"Thorvaldsen  is  still  here,  but  looking  out,  at  last,  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  go  to  Rome.  He  is  very  well :  you  can  let  his  parents 
know.  God  knows  what  will  become  of  him !  He  is  so  thoroughly 
lazy,  that  he  has  had  no  wish  to  write  himself,  and  while  on  board  he 
would  not  learn  a  word  of  the  Italian  language,  though  the  chaplain 
and  I  both  offered  to  teach  him.  I  have  resolved  to  send  him  to  our 
ambassador  at  Naples,  so  that  he  may  forward  him  to  Rome.  The 
young  man  has  an  annual  pension  of  four  hundred  crowns,  and  may 
God  help  him  I  He  has  a  big  dog  whom  he  has  christened  Hector. 
He  sleeps  late  in  the  morning,  and  thinks  only  about  his  comforts 
and  his  eating.  But  everybody  likes  him  because  he  is  such  a  good 
fellow." 

In  another  letter  the  captain  again  says  :  "  He  is  an  honest 
boy,  but  a  lazy  rascal." 

It  is  curious  to  see  such  a  judgment  pronounced  in  good 
faith  and  with  an  appearance  of  truth  upon  one  who  sub- 
sequently became  one  of  the  most  prolific  and  laborious 
sculptors  of  his  time.  Who  knows,  however,  what  germi- 
nating process,  unperceived,  perhaps,  even  by  the  artist 
himself,  was  going  on  under  this  seeming  idleness  ? 

Thorvaldsen,  as  we  have  seen,  had  decided  to  cross  over 
to  Palermo.  We  give  a  few  more  extracts  from  his  jour- 
nal :  — 

Palermo,  January  25,  1797. 
M.  Mathe  and  the  vice-consul  take  me  to  a  palace  which  contains 
some  pictures  by  Rubens,  and  to  a  church  painted  by  a  Sicilian 


i8 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


named  Mauuo.  He  has  painted  the  ceiling,  which  is  pretty  well 
done.  This  church  has  other  good  paintings,  and  a  fine  mouuineut. 
We  go  afterward  to  call  upon  Manuo.  He  is  a  good  ellow.  He 
shows  us  five  pictures,  among  others  a  Saint  Magdalen  at  prayer, 
which  is  very  good.  The  conversation  turning  upon  the  Academy, 
he  promises  to  take  me  there  in  the  evening.  I  arrive  while  he  is 
dressing.  He  puts  on  his  military  uniform  given  him  by  the  grand 
master  of  Malta  for  painting  a  church,  and  takes  us  to  the  Academy, 
Which  is  divided  into  three  classes.  I  see  the  modelling  class  :  it  is 
weak. 

January  26. 

I  go  out  this  morning,  and  meet  my  interpreter  at  M.  Mathe's. 
"We  visit  the  cathedral  which  is  now  building,  and  also  an  atelier  of 
sculpture  where  there  are  several  completed  works.  I  only  see  one 
which  is  very  poor.  I  go  through  several  other  churches,  and  in  the 
evening  to  the  opera.    There  are  two  or  three  excellent  singers. 

January  28. 

The  packet  goes  this  morning  at  7  o'clock,  at  the  same  time  with 
the  Neapolitan  frigate  which  acts  as  its  convoy  on  account  of  the 
Turks.  The  next  day  (Sunday,  January  29),  the  crew  imagine  they 
descry  Naples,  which  is  now  only  about  eighty  miles  olf.  I  think  we 
shall  arrive  there  before  night.  I  begin  to  feel  a  little  better.  There 
are  several  pretty  women  on  board,  and  the  prettiest  one  speaks 
German.  There  are  also  some  ill-looking  creatures  with  hideous 
faces,  old  women  with  tawny  skins,  and  other  people  who  are  not 
exactly  gentlemen  and  ladies.  They  say  I  must  pay  for  my  dog; 
there  are  so  many  passengers  the  poor  beast  can  hardly  find  a  place 
to  lie  down ;  they  are  packed  together  like  smoked  herrings  in  the 
bottom  of  the  hold.  At  ten  o'clock  we  cast  anchor  in  the  bay  of 
Naples. 

Naples,  February  1. 

I  rise  and  dress  at  seven  o'clock ;  go  on  shore.  A  man  comes  up 
to  me  and  inquires  if  I  want  a  domestique  de  place.  I  say  no,  but  ask 
him  to  conduct  me  to  tiie  piazza  francese.  He  consents,  but  on  the 
way  tells  me  that  he  is  going  to  take  me  to  a  much  better  hotel ;  that 
that  is  detestable,  and  it  really  looked  so.  We  pass  through  a  great 
number  of  streets.    We  arrive  at  last  at  a  trattoria,  where  I  agree  to 


LIFE  OF  THOnVALDSEN. 


19 


pay  four  carlini,  two  for  my  lodgings  and  two  for  my  board.  Being 
very  hungry,  I  am  delighted  to  find  something  to  eat.  The  waiter 
comes  up  to  my  room  and  asks  if  I  wish  to  breakfast.  I  go  down  into 
the  diuing-hall ;  a  great  many  people  there,  officers  and  priests.  It 
is  bad  and  dirty :  in  short,  my  dog  eats  more  than  I  do,  although  I 
am  very  hungry.  If  this  tavern  is  the  best  in  the  city,  God  help  the 
bad. 

February  2. 

Dress  to  go  to  the  resident  minister's  [Herr  von  Bourke,  chamber- 
lain to  the  King  of  Denmark].  They  give  me  an  old  woman  as  a 
guide,  but  she  does  not  know  the  way.  She  asks  it  of  a  glass-man 
who  can  speak  German,  like  all  the  glass-men  in  Naples,  as  I  believe. 
He  is  no  wiser  than  she.  The  old  woman  is  obliged  to  ask  again,  and 
before  reaching  the  minister's  I  have  with  me  three  grown  persons 
and  a  little  boy  to  show  me  the  way  to  the  house.  Upon  reaching 
the  minister's  I  have  a  dispute  in  German  with  a  servant  who  tells  me 
his  Excellency  cannot  be  seen,  that  he  is  at  dinner.  I  do  not  wish  to 
go  away  without  accomplishing  something,  so  I  request  him  to  take 
in  my  name.  He  complies  in  a  surly  way.  The  minister  comes  out, 
speaks  to  me  in  Erench ;  I  reply  in  Danish,  which  he  has  almost  for- 
gotten. He  then  excuses  himself,  saying  he  will  have  the  pleasure 
of  a  further  talk  with  me  if  I  will  do  him  the  honor  of  dining  with 
him  the  next  day.  I  return  to  my  tavern  through  the  grand  prome- 
nade [  Villa  reale^,  where  there  is  a  superb  marble  group  [the  Far- 
nese  Bull]. 

February  3. 

Dine  at  the  minister's ;  make  the  acquaintance  of  Professor  Tisch- 
bein ;  he  begs  me  to  come  to  see  him  to-morrow.  He  is  to  take  me 
everywhere. 

February  4. 

I  go  to  see  him  this  morning;  do  not  find  him  at  home.  Meet 
there  one  of  his  pupils,  who  also  speaks  German.  See  his  pictures 
and  some  good  drawings.  When  Professor  Tischbein  comes  back, 
he  requests  one  of  his  pupils  to  take  me  to  all  the  studios. 

We  go  first  to  a  sculpture  gallery,  where  there  are  a  number  ol' 
fine  marble  figures ;  make  a  drawing  of  one.  Then  to  another,  con- 
taining a  large  number  of  antiques,  —  the  great  Hercules  and  many 


20 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN, 


others.  But  it  is  so  cold  I  cannot  stay  long.  To-morrow  I  will  take 
my  cloak.  When  all  is  in  order,  there  will  be  nothing  like  it  in  the 
world. 

February  5. 

To  day  the  German  glass-man  comes  for  me.  "We  go  together  to 
see  several  churches,  among  others  one  enriched  with  a  great  num- 
ber of  marble  statues.  We  go  afterward  out  of  town,  and  are  lucky 
enough  to  see  some  of  the  figures  found  in  the  excavations  at  Portici. 
Two  are  fine. 

February  7. 

To-day  I  see  Capo  di  Monte  :  M.  Andrea  has  the  kindness  to  accom- 
pany me.  It  is  magnificent !  Ah !  how  many  beautiful  things  !  Pic- 
tures of  Raphael  and  other  great  masters ;  also  Etruscan  vases, 
medals,  mosaics.  I  have  to  go  hastily  through  the  galleries,  which 
I  am  sorry  for.    I  must  go  there  again  another  time. 

February  9. 

Go  to  Professor  Tischbein's,  and  thence  to  Capo  di  3Ionte.  See 
the  gallery  more  at  my  leisure.  Dine  at  M.  Andrea's ;  after  dinner 
return  to  the  gallery. 

But  let  us  stop ;  these  extracts  are  enough.  In  this  con- 
fused mass  of  private  notes  the  whole  character  of  Thor- 
valdsen  stands  already  revealed.  His  sincere  admiration 
for  the  antique  does  not  betraj^  him  into  an}^  strong  or 
declamatory  expression.  He  simply  notes  down  in  his  mem- 
orandum-book the  Farnese  Bull  or  the  Hercules,  not  the 
deep  impression  they  make  upon  him.  All  these  noble 
statues,  so  profoundly  engraved  on  his  memor}-,  hardly 
draw  from  him  the  exclamation,  "  Ah !  how  many  beautiful 
things !  " 

The  beginning  of  his  sojourn  in  Ital}^  was  not  fortunate. 
He  fell  ill ;  and,  naturally  prone  to  melanchol}^  suffered 
greatly  from  the  loneliness  of  his  situation.  More  than  once 
he  was  tempted  to  return  to  Denmark,  but  the  thought  that 
.lereafter  perhaps  he  might  have  to  blush  for  this  act  of 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


21 


weakness  restrained  him.  At  a  more  hopeful  moment  he 
got  into  a  vettura,  and  arrived  in  Rome  at  last,  on  the  8th 
of  March,  1797.  It  was  almost  nine  months  after  leaving 
Copenhagen  that  he  set  foot  in  the  Eternal  City  ;  and,  though 
he  was  entirely  free  to  travel  wherever  he  pleased,  it  is  there 
that  he  lived  during  all  the  time  that  he  was  a  pensioner  of 
the  Academy. 


MORNING. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


23 


CHAPTER  II. 


Eflect  of  the  Antique  Statues  upou  Thorvaldsen.  —  Zoega.  —  Pecu- 
niary Difficulties.  —  Ill-healtli.  — Political  Troubles.  —  Mr.  Hope 
and  the  "  Jason.  "  —  Anna  Maria.  —  "  The  Abduction  of  Briseis." 


A  DEVOTED  student,  then 
a3^oiith  careless  and  dream}^, 
such  had  been  Thorvaldsen 
until  the  moment  of  his  ar- 
rival in  Itome.  But  erelong 
a  complete  metamorphosis 
was  to  be  wrought  in  him, 
and  a  new  man  was  to  ap- 
pear. "  I  w^as  born  on  the 
8th  of  March,  1797,"  he  used 
to  say ;  "  before  then  I  did 
not  exist."  Still  the  trans- 
formation w'as  not  sudden  :  it 
was  onl}"  after  a  slow  period 
of  incubation,  so  to  speak, 
that  he  began  to  break  his 
shell.  Little  hj  little  he 
burst  the  fetters  of  servile 
imitation,  and,  once  free,  his 

creative  power  never  deserted 
JASON.  I^Ij^^ 

We  have  alread}"  referred  to  the  impression  made  upon 
him  b}^  the  works  of  antique  art.    This  admiration  did  not. 


24 


LIFE  OF  THOnVALBSEN. 


as  in  southern  natures,  display  itself  outwardly.  He  re- 
mained in  a  sort  of  ecstasy  and  stupor,  perceiving  that  he 
had  much  to  learn  and  much  to  forget. 

Bishop  Munter,  who  predicted  a  brilliant  future  for  the 
artist,  had  furnished  him  with  letters  to  the  learned  archaeol- 
ogist Zoega,  whom  the  Danes  looked  upon  as  their  Winckel- 
mann.  He  soon  became  attached  to  the  young  artist,  and 
the  best  proof  he  gave  of  his  friendship  was  the  severit}'  of 
his  criticisms.  He  encouraged  and  counselled  Thorvaldsen  ; 
and,  without  being  blind  to  what  was  wanting  in  him,  set 
a  proper  value  upon  his  talents.  He  writes  thus  from  Gen- 
zano,  Oct.  4,  1797  :  — 

"  Our  countryman,  Thorvaldsen,  has  come  to  pass  a  week  with  us 
and  see  the  curiosities  of  the  neighborhood.  He  is  an  excellent 
artist,  with  a  great  deal  of  taste  and  sentiment,  bat  ignorant  of  every- 
thing outside  of  art.  By  the  bye,  the  Academy  shows  very  little 
judgment  in  sending  such  ignorant  young  fellows  to  Italy,  where 
they  must  necessarily  lose  a  great  deal  of  time  in  acquiring  that 
knowledge,  without  which  they  are  unable  to  profit  by  their  stay 
here,  and  which  could  be  acquired  more  easily  and  rapidly  before 
coming.  Without  knowing  a  word  of  Italian  or  French,  without  the 
slightest  acquaintance  with  history  and  mythology,  how  is  it  possible 
for  an  artist  properly  to  pursue  his  studies  here?  I  do  not  require 
him  to  be  learned,  that  I  should  not  even  desire ;  but  he  should  have 
some  faint  idea  of  the  names  and  meaning  of  the  things  he  sees. 
The  rest  he  can  pick  up  by  association  with  the  learned." 

Zoega's  remarks  are  applicable,  even  in  our  day,  to  mau}^ 
young  artists  who  go  to  Rome.  In  this  case  it  was  not  so 
much  the  Academy,  however,  as  Thorvaldsen  who  was  in 
fault.  He,  as  we  have  seen,  had  little  inclination  for  any 
study  which  did  not  bear  directly  on  his  art. 

Tt  has  been  asserted  by  some  persons  that  Thorvaldsen 
wasted  the  first  years  of  his  residence  in  Ital}^,  doing  nothing 
for  a  long  time.  We  must  rectifj^  this  exaggerated  state- 
ment.   Endowed  with  extreme  facility  of  execution,  the 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN, 


25 


young  artist  had,  up  to  that  time,  profited  by  this  natural 
gift ;  as  soon  as  a  subject  had  been  given  him,  he  had  set  to 
work  and  executed  a  model  with  surprising  rapidit}^  When 
he  came  to  Rome,  he  began  to  distrust  himself;  and  self- 
distrust  is  the  beginning  of  progress.  Studying  so  many 
masterpieces,  he  became  more  and  more  conscious  of  his 
own  shortcomings.  Henceforward,  whenever  he  purposed 
producing  an  original  work,  he  pondered  long  on  his  sub- 
ject ;  and  it  was  only  after  fully  working  out  his  conception 
in  his  mind,  that  he  decided  to  take  up  the  clay.  But  though 
his  hands  were  often  idle,  we  must  not  conclude  that  his 
mind  was  inactive. 

"  The  snow  that  I  had  in  my  eyes  begins  to  melt  away," 
he  said.  He  studied  the  antiques  so  thorough!}'  that  he 
knew  them  by  heart.  Those  which  above  all  others  im- 
pressed and  attracted  him  were  the  simple  and  strong  com- 
positions belonging  to  that  epoch  which  Winckelmann  calls 
the  period  of  high  art  in  Greece.  Of  these  he  made  many 
copies.  Among  others,  one  of  half-size  of  the  ""Pollux" 
(one  of  the  two  colossal  figures  of  Monte  Cavallo  which  he 
greatly  admired),  the  "  Jupiter  of  the  Capitol,"  the  "  Apollo 
of  the  Vatican,"  the  "Venus  di  Medici,"  "Ariadne,"  "  Sap- 
pho," "  Melpomene,"^  &c.  To  this  list  must  be  added  copies 
in  marble  of  the  antique  busts  of  "  Homer,"  "  Cicero,"  and 
"Agrippa."  These  last  works  were  executed  in  fulfilment 
of  his  pledges  to  the  Academy.  He  also  copied  the  bust  of 
Raphael  in  the  Pantheon  to  please  his  teacher,  Abildgaard,^ 
who  had  begged  him  to  do  it,  and  put  into  marble  the  two 
portrait-busts  modelled  before  he  left  Copenhagen,  besides 
that  of  the  Danish  ambassador  at  Naples. 

We  know  of  but  very  few  original  compositions  of  this 
period.    Some  have  disappeared,  others  not  obtaining  the 

1  These  copies  in  1821  were  in  the  cabinet  of  Herr  von  Ropp,  at  Mietau.  (Nagler.) 

2  The  Baroness  von  Stampe  has  at  Nysiie  two  heads  in  marble,  one  a  Medusa,  the 
other  a  Bacchus,  which  belong  to  this  period. 


26 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


favor  of  Zoega  were  destroyed  b}"  the  artist :  such  was  the 
fate  of  a  "  Minerva,"  w^hose  immodest  draper^'  was  more  par- 
ticularl}^  the  object  of  the  critic's  strictures.  "  A  virtuous 
woman  of  antiqiiity  would  have  blushed  to  appear  in  such  a 
costume :  how  much  more  a  goddess ! "  Nor  do  we  know 
what  has  become  of  two  groups,  "  Peace  and  Abundance," 
and  "  Venus  and  Mars  Victor"  ;  nor  whether  a  statue  under 
life-size,  of  "  H3'geia,"  ordered  by  Dr.  Lehmann,  still  exists. 
But  we  have  seen  at  Herr  Thiele's  house  "  Achilles  raising 
the  conquered  Penthesilea,"  a  sinall  group  of  the  same  size 
as  "  Bacchus  and  Ariadne,"  and  of  this  same  period. 

This  last  work,  which  is  in  the  Museum,  shows  the  prog- 
ress Thorvaldsen  had  made  since  his  arrival  in  Rome.  We 
see  in  it  still  the  pupil  of  the  Copenhagen  Academy,  but 
developed  by  intimate  association  with  the  antique.  The 
group  is  a  pleasing  one  ;  and  the  figures  of  Ariadne  and  Bac- 
chus have  a  certain  breadth  of  style,  borrowed  from  great 
models.  The  head  of  the  god  is  almost  identical  with  the 
^'  Bacchus  of  the  Capitol,"  wrongly  called  for  a  long  time  an 
Ariadne. 1  We  may  consider  this  work,  therefore,  as  inter- 
mediate between  the  copies  of  the  antique  and  the  original 
works  executed  later  under  the  inspiration  of  Greek  art. 

It  was  during  the  heat  of  the  summer  of  1798  that  Thor- 
valdsen was  engaged  upon  the  "  Bacchus  and  Ariadne,"  which 
he  intended  for  the  Academy  of  Copenhagen.  A  severe  at- 
tack of  fever  interrupted  his  work  ;  and  the  unfinished  model 
(of  moist  clay)  being  in  danger  of  destruction  b}^  the  heat, 
the  plaster-cast  from  it  was  hastil}^  taken.  The  artist  felt 
obliged  to  ask  indulgence  of  the  Academy  for  its  imperlec- 
tions,  3'et  nevertheless  sent  it  to  Denmark. 

Life  in  Rome  was  not  altogether  easy  for  the  pensioner  of 

1  It  is  certainly  a  male  head ;  and,  judging  from  the  two  little  horns  formed  by  the 
hair,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  is  the  head  of  a  god.  There  is  a  reproduction  of 
this  antique  fragment  in  the  Thorvaldsen  collection.  It  is  in  the  basement  of  the 
Museum,  and  is  numbered  113. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


27 


the  A  caclemy  of  Copenhagen :  he  had  his  good  and  his  bad 
da^'S.  The  bad  were  dne  to  the  circumstances  in  which  he 
was  placed :  the  good  he  won  for  himself,  aided  by  ^wth 
and  hope.  The  Academy's  pension  of  four  hundred  crowns 
(about  twelve  hundred  francs)  scarcely  sufficed  to  supply 
the  common  necessaries  of  life.  In  return  for  this  bount}^, 
he  was  required  to  send  a  report  of  his  progress  every  six 
months,  and,  at  the  end  of  two  3'ears,  some  work  as  proof  of 
his  apj)lication.  These  obligations  he  scrupulously  fulfilled. 
To  supply  the  deficiency  of  the  pension,  it  was  necessary  to 
earn  money  ;  and  this  was  not  easy  in  those  times  of  political 
agitation.  In  1797  the  Directory  of  France  was  seeking  by 
every  means  to  overthrow  the  Holy  See  and  to  get  possession 
of  its  dominions.  Bonaparte  had  taken  Urbino,  Ferrara, 
Bologna,  Ancona ;  and  Pius  VI,  in  signing  the  treaty  of 
Tolentino,  had  pledged  himself  not  only  to  pa}'  an  indemnity 
of  thirty-one  millions,  but  to  give  up  to  France  a  large  num- 
ber of  works  of  art.  This  was  a  real  grief  'to  Thorvaldsen  : 
nothing  in  all  these  great  political  commotions  touched  him 
more  nearl}'.  General  Duphot  having  been  killed  in  a  riot, 
Berthier  entered  Rome,  Feb.  10,  1798.  Pius  VI,  deprived 
of  his  temporal  power,  was  taken  to  Florence,  thence  to 
France ;  the  Republic  was  proclaimed,  and  it  was  not  until 
1800  that  a  new  Pope,  Pius  VII,  was  elected.  The  Con- 
cordat of  1801  restored  partial  tranquillitj'  to  the  Roman 
States,  occupied  successively  by  French  and  Neapolitan 
troops.  That  a  young  foreign  artist  through  all  these  turbu- 
lent times  should  have  been  able  to  pursue  his  studies  so 
regularl}'  and  persistentl}^  as  Thorvaldsen  did,  is  indeed  sur- 
prising. But,  though  he  found  means  to  exercise  and  develop 
his  talent,  he  could  not  make  it  lucrative.  Work  done  as 
stud}^,  and  sent  to  Copenhagen,  brought  him  absolutely 
nothing.  Fortunately,  he  fell  in  with  an  English  painter 
named  Wallis,  who  paid  him  a  scudo  a  day  for  putting  small 
figures  into  his  landscapes.    Thorvaldsen  drew  with  great 


28 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


correctness  ;  but  it  is  a  little  remarkable  that  a  young  sculp- 
tor should  be  sufficiently  well  acquainted  with  oil  painting  to 
be  able  to  do  such  work  creditabl}'.  The  small  compensation 
he  got  for  it  was  frequently'  a  most  valuable  assistance-  to 
him  in  these  difficult  times. 

But  Thorvaldsen  had  to  struggle  with  another  enem}'  be- 
sides poverty;.  He  had  not  fully  recovered  from  the  illness 
which  he  had  contracted  at  Naples,  when  he  was  attacked 
b}'  malarial  fever  soon  after  he  was  settled  in  Rome.  He 
continued  all  his  life  subject  to  returns  of  this  malady,  which, 
however,  did  not  prevent  his  living  without  infirmities  to  a 
Yeiy  old  age.  During  the  first  y^ears  of  his  residence  in 
Rome,  its  periodical  occurrence,  and  the  lassitude  which  was 
its  natural  result,  occasioned  frequent  interruptions  in  his 
work. 

The  atelier  which  Thorvaldsen  took  in  the  Via  Bahuino 
had  been  occupied  before  him  by  the  famous  English  sculp- 
tor Flaxman,  that  other  passionate  admirer  of  the  antique, 
whom  his  country^men  did  not  fully  appreciate  until  after  his 
death.  Thorvaldsen,  notwithstanding  his  early^  trials,  was 
destined  to  be  more  fortunate  than  his  predecessor.  He 
tasted  all  the  pleasures  of  fame  in  his  lifetime  ;  and  that  he 
did  so,  is  perhaps  owing  to  an  Englishman,  Mr.  Hope,  of 
whom  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  hereafter. 

At  Zoega's  house,  which  was  open  to  artists  of  every 
nationality',  especially  Germans,  Danes,  and  Swedes,  Thor- 
valdsen made  the  acquaintance  of  a  German  landscape 
painter,  Joseph  Koch.  The  y^oung  men  became  intimate, 
and  finally^  hired  rooms  together,  of  an  old  padrona  cU  casa 
in  the  Via  Felice,  Dame  Ursula  by  name,  who  took  charge 
of  their  housekeeping. 

Thorvaldsen  was  six  years  the  pensioner  of  the  Academy, 
by  successive  renewals.  When  the  first  term  of  three  years 
was  drawing  to  a  close  he  resolved  to  compose,  before  he 
should  have  to  leave  Rome,  an  important  work.    It  was  then 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


29 


that  he  made  the  first  model  of  a  "Jason,"  which  has  not 
been  preserved.  This  statue,  of  life-size,  represented  the 
hero  victorious  over  the  dragon,  and  holding  in  his  hand 
the  golden  fleece.  It  remained  a  long  time  in  his  atelier,  1 
and  was  seen  by  a  number  of  people  ;  but  it  did  not  excite 
much  admiration,  and  the  discouraged  sculptor  finally  de- 
stroyed ■  it. 

All  these  months  of  labor,  however,  had  not  been  in  vain. 
The  artist  had  pondered  long  upon  his  subject.  He  had 
failed  to  embod}^  his  conception  at  first,  it  is  true  ;  but  he 
determined  to  try  again.  In  the  autumn  of  1802  he  modelled 
another  "Jason,"  and  this  time  colossal,  which  would  prob- 
abl}'  have  met  with  the  same  fate  as  its  predecessor,  had  not 
Madame  Fredericka  Briin,  sister  of  Bishop  Miinter,  advanced 
the  money  needed  to  cast  it  in  plaster,  which  was  done 
early  in  1803. 

The  new  statue  of  "Jason"  made  a  great  stir  in  Rome. 
The  name  of  the  artist  was  scarcely  known  ;  but  everybody 
was  talking  of  his  work,  and  it  was  unanimousl}^  acknowl- 
edged by  connoisseurs  to  be  of  real  merit.  Canova  ex. 
claimed,  "Here  is  a  work  in  a  new  and  lofty  style  I"^  Even 
the  critical  Zoega  did  not  hesitate  to  give  his  approval  in 
flattering  terms,  a  praise  which  was  more  precious  to  the 
artist  than  any  coming  from  other  sources. 

The  "  Jason"  seemed  destined,  however,  to  be  but  a  barren 
success  :  it  brought  no  patronage,  and  no  one  dreamt  of 
ordering  a  cop}^  in  marble  of  this  statue  so  highly  praised. 
Thorvaldsen  had  reached  the  end  of  his  means,  and  the 
Academy's  bount}^  had  already  been  continued  to  the  far- 
thest possible  limit.  To  remain  longer  in  Rome  was  im- 
possible. After  having  deferred  his  departure  from  week 
to  week  and  from  da}^  to  da}^,  he  was  forced  at  last  to  make 
up  his  mind  that  he  must  leave  Italy,  while  his  heart  still 


1  He  worked  upon  it  until  April,  1801.  (Thiele.) 

2  Quest'  opera  di  quel  giovane  Danesc  e  fatto  in  uno  stile  nuovo  c  grandioao." 


30 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


yearned  for  the  fame  seeming  so  near,  yet  ever  eluding 
his  grasp.  The  poor  artist  had  packed  his  trunks  ;  they 
were  piled  upon  the  vettura,  which  stood  waiting  at  the 
door.  Plaster  casts,  furniture,  everything  had  been  sold, 
when,  at  the  last  moment,  his  fellow-traveller,  the  sculptor 
Hagemann,  came  to  announce  that,  in  consequence  of  some 
trouble  about  their  passports,  the}^  would  be  obliged  to  wait 
till  the  next  day. 

This  trifling  incident  changed  the  fortunes  of  Thorvaldsen. 
A  few  hours  afterward,  the  rich  English  banker,  Thomas 
Hope,  coming  into  his  atelier  was  struck  b}-  the  majestic 
proportions  of  the  "Jason"  and  asked  the  artist  how  much  it 
would  cost  to  put  it  into  marble.  "  Six  hundred  sequins," 
replied  the  agitated  sculptor,  catching  eagerly  at  a  ray  of 
hope.  "  That  is  not  enough :  you  must  have  eight  hundred,'* 
said  the  generous  amateur.^ 

Life  now  assumed  for  Thorvaldsen  a  new  aspect.  He  re- 
mained in  Rome  no  longer  a  pensioner  of  the  Academy,  but 
an  independent  artist,  living  b}^  his  labor.  From  that  day 
Fortune,  who  crossed  his  threshold  with  the  English  banker, 
never  abandoned  him.  But  it  is  onl}^  just  to  say  that  his 
prosperit}^  was  as  much  due  to  his  own  constant  efforts  and 
assiduous  labor,  as  to  the  smiles  of  the  goddess. 

Mr.  Hope's  visit  may  be  termed  the  salvation  of  the  artist. 
His  commission  gave  Thorvaldsen,  for  some  time  at  least, 
the  means  of  support.  He  was  thus  able  to  pursue  his 
studies  in  Ital}^,  retained  there  by  his  interest  in  the  remains 
of  ancient  art.  We  might  therefore  naturally  exj^ect  that 
the  artist  would  now  devote  himself  with  jo3'ful  alacrity 

1  This,  nevertheless,  is  the  agreement  written  in  Frencliand  signed  by  Tliorvald- 
sen:  "I,  the  undersigned  do  promise  to  execute  for  Mr.  Thomas  Hope,  of  London, 
for  six  hundred  Roman  sequins,  payable  in  four  instalments,  a  statue,  eleven  hands 
high  in  Carrara  marble  of  the  finest  quality,  after  a  model  now  in  ray  atelier,  near 
the  I'iazza  Barberini,  representing  Jason  standing,  and  holding  in  one  hand  his  lance, 
in  the  other  the  golden  fleece.''  ('J'hiele.)  Mr.  Hope,  it  is  true,  reserved  the  right 
of  making  tlie  last  payment  larger,  in  case  the  statue  equalled  his  expectations. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


31 


to  the  task  of  cutting  in  marble  the  statue  which  had  akeady 
begun  to  make  him.  famous.  Vain  expectation  !  He  fell,  on 
the  contrar}^,  into  a  hmguishing  and  listless  coi^lition  which 
incapacitated  him  for  an}^  kind  of  work.  He  scarcely  took 
up  the  chisel  before  he  laid  it  down  again.  His  mind  and  his 
heart  were  elsewhere.    The  artist  was  absorbed  in  the  lover. 

Thorvaldsen  now  formed  a  connection  which  had  so  long 
and  so  unfortunate  an  influence  upon  his  life  that  we  feel 
obliged  to  enter  into  some  particulars  concerning  it.  Zoega, 
the  sincere  friend,  the  severe  critic,  was  also  a  charming  host. 
He  had  at  Genzano,  near  Rome,  a  pleasant  villa,  whither 
Thorvaldsen  was  frequentl}'  invited,  and  where  after  one  of 
his  attacks  of  fever  he  went  to  re-establish  his  health.  Treated 
by  the  master  and  mistress  as  their,  own  son,  the  house 
seemed  a  charming  abode  to  the  3'oung  man.  The  time 
passed  gayly  in  games,  rustic  dances,  and  the  society  of 
lovely  women.  One  of  the  latter  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  the  artist.  She  was  a  Roman  girl  with  dark  hair  and 
flashing  eyes,  who  carried  her  head  proudl}',  and  whose  vig- 
orous and  well-developed  form  was  statuesque  in  its  propor- 
tions. Giorgione  would  have  painted  her  with  the  warmest 
colors  of  his  palette.  Her  name  was  Anna  Maria  Magnani. 
Her  station  in  life  was  a  humble  one  ;  for  she  seems  to  have 
been  only  a  sort  of  lady's  maid  to  the  Signora  Zoega. 

In  the  dances  on  the  lawn  where  the  usual  laisser-aller  of 
fetes  cliampctres  prevailed,  and  whilst  all  the  compau}'  yielded 
to  the  exhilarating  influence  of  the  violin,  the  hand  of  the 
3'oung  Dane  often  came  in  contact  with  that  of  the  Roman 
girl.  His  light  hair,  his  clear  complexion,  his  blue  e3'es, 
formed  an  admirable  contrast  to  her  dark  beaut3\  Thor- 
valdsen's  was  not  an  inelegant  figure.  His  features  were 
refined,  his  expression  intelligent,  and  he  had  that  transpar- 
ent and  delicate  beaut}^  common  to  the  native  of  the  North, 
and  which  is  all  the  more  appreciated  in  Italy  because  it  is 
there  so  rarely-  seen. 


32 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


It  was  not  difficult  to  foresee  the  result.  The  first  to  fall 
in  love,  the  3'oung  girl  made  but  little  resistance.  Unfortu- 
natel}^,  this  liaison^  which  should  have  been  a  mere  episode 
of  his  youth,  became  a  heavy  chain  for  the  artist.  Under 
the  first  impulse  of  passion,  he  had  failed  to  perceive  the 
immense  distance  which  separated  him  from  this  woman  in 
all  that  concerned  his  tastes,  and  especially  his  character. 
It  was  not  long,  however,  before  she  showed  herself  in  her 
true  colors.  Impatient  to  improve  her  condition,  the  humble 
beaut}^  made  a  new  conquest,  and  secured  a  position  far 
superior  to  that  which  her  first  lover  could  offer  her,  by  mar- 
rying a  man  of  higher  birth  and  the  possessor  of  a  fortune. 
Madame  d'Uhden,  the  bride,  did  not,  however,  forget  the 
loves  of  plain  Anna  Maria,  whose  relations  with  her  Bertel 
were  scarcely  interrupted.  The  young  Dane,  who  had  a 
more  sensitive  nature,  suffered  cruelly  from  this  state  of 
things,  though  the  ardor  of  his  passion  would  not  allow  him 
to  put  an  end  to  it.  He  was  indeed  so  blinded  by  love  that 
when  the  bridegroom  carried  off  his  wife  to  Florence  he  fell 
seriously  ill. 

Nor  had  Anna  Maria  the  slightest  affection  for  her  hus- 
band. Anxious  above  all,,  and  at  whatever  price,  to  rise 
from  the  humble  station  in  which  her  birth  had  placed  her, 
she  had  married  M.  d'Uhden.  But,  as  she  was  unwilling  to 
break  the  tie  which  bound  her  to  the  artist,  she  was  aware 
that  she  might  sooner  or  later  be  abandoned  by  the  man  who 
was  her  lawful  protector.  Like  a  prudent  woman,  she  pre- 
vailed upon  her  lover  —  whose  position,  thanks  to  Mr.  Hope, 
had  somewhat  improved,  and  whose  prospects'  appeared 
brighter  —  to  enter  into  a  formal  engagement  in  writing  to 
provide  for  her  support  in  case  of  a  rupture  with  her  hus- 
band. Relying  upon  this  promise,  she  no  longer  feared  the 
storm,  and  was  perhaps  not  sorry  to  have  it  burst  quickl3^ 
The  crisis  occurred  at  Florence,  and  was  at  once  announced 
to  the  artist  b}'  a  letter  dated  from  that  city,  June  12,  1803. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


33 


It  was  a  summons  in  the  proper  form,  commanding  him  on 
the  part  of  the  Signora  Anna  Maria  d'Uhden  to  appear  forth- 
with and  perform  the  engagements  entered  into  b}^  him  with 
the  lady  aforesaid. i  Strange  to  say,  this  singular  missive  is 
signed  Fra  Luigi  Formenti^  at  the  convent  of  Santa' Maria 
delta  Stella. 

Thorvaldsen  had  no  means  of  escape :  he  acquitted  him- 
self of  his  obligations  by  receiving  the  lady  into  his  house. 
These  exciting  events  were  not  of  a  nature  to  put  an  end  to 
his  invalid  condition,  still  farther  aggravated  by  the  exces- 
sive heat  of  the  summer  of  1803.  He  jdelded  to  the  en- 
treaties of  his  friends,  and  betook  himself  to  Albano  to 
re-establish  his  health,  now  very  much  shattered. 

Upon  liis  return  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Baron 
von  Schubart,  Danish  ambassador  at  the  court  of  Naples. 
The  baron  and  his  wife  had  come  to  Rome  with  the  intention 
of  passing  some  time  among  the  artists  with  whom  the  city 
was  thronged.  Having  a  sincere  love  for  art,  thc}^  showed 
much  kindness  to  the  sculptor,  treating  him  as  a  friend  and 
taking  pleasure  in  introducing  him  to  the  best  society,  to 
which  their  rank  gave  them  access.  Through  them  the  artist 
was  introduced  to  Baron  William  von  Humboldt,  then  at 
Rome  with  his  family.  At  the  baron's  house  were  always  to 
be  met  people  of  the  highest  distinction  whether  for  rank  or 
merit,  and  Thorvaldsen  profited  by  the  opportunity  thus 
afforded  him  to  form  many  acquaintances  who  proved  useful 
to  him  in  his  profession.  From  one  of  these,  the  Countess 
Woronzoff,  he  received  an  order  for  four  marble  statues  :  -  a 
"  Bacchus,"  a  "  Ganymede,"  an  "  Apollo,"  and  a  "  Venus  "  ; 
as  well  as  a  group  of  "  Cupid  and  Psyche."  He  was  also 
commissioned  by  Count  von  Moltke  to  make  two  statues, 
companion  pieces,  a  "Bacchus"  and  an  "Ariadne." 

In  April,  1804,  Thorvaldsen  went  to  Naples  in  company 


1  Thiele. 


2  The  price  of  each  was  four  hundred  Roman  crowns. 


34 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSE]\. 


with  the  count,  and,  in  spite  of  the  obstacles  raised  by  the 
jealousy  of  Anna  Maria,  afterward  proceeded  to  the  villa  of 
Baron  von  Schubart,  at  Montenero,  where  he  passed  part  of 
the  summer.  His  stay  here  was  very  delightful :  his  hosts 
overwhelmed  him  with  kindness,  and  the  pure  countr}^  air 
and  sea-bathing  improved  his  health.  As  he  was  ver}^  soon 
anxious  to  be  at  work  again,  the  baron  hastened  to  install 
him  in  a  small  atelier,  where  he  modelled  the  charming  group 
of  "  Cupid  and  Psyche,"  one  of  his  finest  creations.  Wish- 
ing, before  leaving  Montenero,  to  testify  his  appreciation  of 
the  kindness  of  his  hosts,  he  modelled,  in  less  than  nine  days, 
a  bas-relief,  the  "  Dance  of  the  Muses  on  Parnassus,"  a  pleas- 
ing work,  well  designed  and  executed,  which  he  presented  to 
the  baroness  on  her  birthday.  From  Montenero  Thorvaldsen 
made  a  trip  to  Genoa,  whence  he  returned  soon  after  to 
Rome. 

The  success  of  his  last  works  having  now  attracted  pub- 
lic attention,  honors  began  to  flow  in  upon  him.  Oct.  13, 
1804,  he  received  from  Florence  the  diploma  of  professor 
of  the  Poyal  Academy  of  that  city.  The  Academy  of  Copen- 
hagen had  expected  the  artist  to  return  home  when  his 
pension  had  expired,  but  took  care  not  to  recall  him  upon 
learning  that  their  pupil  was  doing  so  much  honor  to  his 
country  in  the  metropolis  of  the  arts.  The}^  sent  him  a  gift 
of  four  hundred  crowns  to  express  their  gratification  at  his 
success.! 

Hardl}^  had  Thorvaldsen  returned  to  Rome,  w^hen  he  heard 
that  the  atelier  at  Montenero  had  been  struck  by  lightning, 
immediately  after  his  departure,  and  that  all  his  models,  with 
the  exception  of  "  Cupid  and  Ps3^che,"  were  destro3'ed.  The 
amateurs  declared  that  it  was  a  miracle.  Poets  sang  of  it ; 
sonnets  were  handed  about  from  salon  to  salon  ;  and  all  this 


1  Some  months  later  (1  May,  1805)  he  hecame  himself  a  member  of  the  Academy 
of  his  native  city,  and  was  appointed  professor  in  the  place  of  Weidenhaupt.  He 
was  also  chosen  honorary  member  of  the  National  Academy  of  Bologna. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


35 


excitement,  which  the  artist  did  nothing  to  promote,  con- 
tributed to  the  growth  of  his  fame. 

In  the  spring  of  1805  Thorvaldsen  produced  his  first  really- 
important  bas-relief,  "The  Abduction  of  Briseis,"  which  still 
remains  one  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the  master's  works. 
In  the  judgment  of  connoisseurs,  the  "Jason"  had  placed 
the  Danish  sculptor  side  by  side  with  Canova,  whose  glory 
w^as  then  at  its  zenith.  "The  Abduction  of  Briseis"  in- 
creased his  growing  reputation,  and  some  persons  maintained 
that  he  had  alreiidy  outstripped  his  illustrious  rival  in  this 
branch  of  their  art,  the  bas-relief,  in  which  Thorvaldsen  sub- 
sequently became  unquestionably  the  superior. 

Zoega,  who  did  not  fail  to  come  once  a  month,  according 
to  agreement,  to  the  atelier  of  his  protege^  saw  this  bas- 
relief,  and  was  so  well  satisfied  with  it  that  he  wrote  to  his 
friend  Bishop  Munter,  27th  April,  1805,  "  Thorvaldsen  is 
now  very  popular,  and  orders  flow  in  from  all  sides.  There 
is  no  longer  any  doubt  that  he  and  Canova  are  the  two  most 
eminent  sculptors  in  Rome.  I  am  delighted  to  find  that  my 
predictions,  which  no  one  would  believe  when  I  made  them, 
have  been  verified." 

Thorvaldsen  now  received  so  many  orders  that  the  "  Jason  " 
was  neglected.  The  "Bacchus,"  "Apollo,"  and  "Gany- 
mede" of  the  Countess  Woronzofi"  were  finished  in  1805, 
whilst  the  "  Jason  "  still  remained  in  the  same  state.  It  is 
difficult  to  avoid  feeling  some  regret  at  the  conduct  of 
Thorvaldsen  in  this  matter.  Mr.  Hope's  visit  was  produc- 
tive of  such  important  results  that  he  should  have  consid- 
ered it  a  positive  duty  to  satisfy  an  amateur  who  had  treated 
him  so  nobly.  But  artists  occasionally  have  caprices,  which 
we  must  not  judge  too  severely.  The  journej^s  he  made  on 
account  of  his  health  frequently  kept  him  away  from  Rome 
during  a  part  of  the  year ;  and  on  his  return  his  pecuniary- 
embarrassments  obliged  him  to  devote  himself  to  new  works. 
The  decree  of  Napoleon,  17th  December,  1807,  ordering  the 


36 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


seizure  of  all  English  property'  on  the  continent,  also  fur- 
nished him  with  more  or  less  plausible  pretexts  for  delay. 
The  truth  is,  that  the  work,  as  he  had  at  first  conceived  it,  no 
longer  pleased  the  artist. ^  He  offered  to  make  another 
statue,  which  should  be  superior  to  the  first :  but  here  the 
obstinacy  of  the  English  character  showed  itself,  and  Mr. 
Hope  could  not  be  induced  to  listen  to  any  such  proposition. 
A  long  correspondence  followed,  and  the  amateur  finally 
lost  patience.^    The  matter,  however,  was  finally  settled, 

1  When  Thorvaldsen  at  last  decided  to  finish  the  statue,  he  said  one  day  to  Herr 
Thiele,  who  was  with  huu  in  his  atelier  while  he  was  working,  "  When  I  did  it  I 
thought  it  good,  and  so  it  is,  but  now  I  know  how  to  do  better." 

2  Sixteen  years  after  the  "  Jason  "  was  ordered,  Mr.  Hope  wrote  to  Thorvaldsen 
from  London.  April  6,  1819:  "  It  will  be  needless,  I  think,  for  me  to  have  the  honor  of 
reminding  you  that  at  the  beginning  of  1803,  in  virtue  of  an  agreement  signed  by  you, 
and  which  I  have  now  before  me,  you  undertook  to  execute  for  me  a  statue  of  '  Jason,' 
after  a  model  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  in  your  atelier.  Over  and  above  the 
sum  which  I  engaged  to  remit  in  three  separate  payments,  —  the  first  when  you  had 
procured  the  necessary  marble,  the  second  when  the  statue  should  be  rough-hewed, 
and  the  third  when  it  should  be  finished,  —  I  reserved  to  myself  the  privilege  of  adding 
to  these  a  further  sum,  agreed  upon  between  us,  if  the  care  taken  in  the  execution  of  the 
work  corresponded  to  my  expectations  and  your  reputation.  The  first  two  payments 
were  scrupulously  made,  at  your  demand.  I  have  before  me  the  receipts.  Rut  since  that 
time,  up  to  the  year  1816,  that  is  to  say,  nearly  fourteen  years  after  the  agreement  made 
by  you  with  me  personally  at  Rome.  I  heard  nothing  from  either  you  or  my  statue. 
You  then  alleged  several  reasons  for  having  left  it  unfinished.  Although  these  reasons 
had  little  weight  in  my  eyes,  since,  subsequently  to  the  obligation  entered  into  with 
me,  you  had  begun  and  finished  an  infinite  number  of  other  works;  nevertheless, 
partly  on  account  of  the  regret  you  expressed  for  treating  me  so  ill,  and  your  assur- 
ance that  the  statue  should  be  completed  without  delay,  and  partly  out  of  dehcacy 
and  consideration  for  you,  I  determined  to  forget  the  past  and  content  myself  with 
trusting  to  your  promises  for  the  future.  Nevertheless ,  sir,  I  have  just  learned  that 
not  only  my  statue  of  'Jason'  has  not  been  touched  since  that  time,  but  that  in  the 
interval  still  other  works  have  been  undertaken  and  finished.  Seeing,  therefore,  tliat 
the  absent  continue  to  be  wronged,  and  those  who  are  on  the  spot  can  alone  hope  t) 
obtain  justice,  I  have  decided  to  put  this  business  into  the  hands  of  my  good  friends, 
Messrs.  Torlouia  &  Co.  At  my  request,  these  gentlemen  have  kindly  undertaken 
this  commission ;  and  I  beg  of  you  to  consider  henceforward  the  orders  of  their 
banking-house  as  coming  from  me." 

M.  Torlonia  and  his  step-son,  M.  Chiaveri,  acquitted  themselves  of  their  commis- 
sion with  all  the  courtesy  of  men  of  the  world.  Thorvaldsen's  journey  to  Denmark 
delayed  still  longer  the  execution  of  the  statue  ;  and  when  at  last  it  was  finished  the 
artist  begged  Mr.  Hope  to  accept,  as  a  compensation  and  an  expression  of  his  regret, 
two  marble  bas-reliefs,  and  three  busts,  also  in  mai-ble,  of  Mrs.  Hope  and  her  two 
daughters.  (Thiele.) 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


37 


though  it  was  not  until  1828  that  the  "  Jason"  was  ready  to 
be  sent  to  London. 

Since  the  success  of  the  "  Abduction  of  Briseis,"  the  dis- 
tinguished people  who  had  opened  their  salons  to  the  Dan- 
ish sculptor  almost  made  it  a  matter  of  rivalry  to  obtain 
the  promise  of  some  work  from  his  hand.  The  wealth}^ 
Marquis  Torlonia  ordered  a  group  of  "Mars  and  Venus," 
which  he  wished  to  place  in  the  Palazzo  Bracciano,  as  com- 
panion to  Canova's  famous  group,  "  Hercules  and  Lycas." 
The  United  States  Consul  at  Leghorn,  Mr.  Appleton,  gave 
him  a  commission  for  a  colossal  statue  of  "  Liberty,"  to  be 
placed  in  a  public  square  in  Washington. ^  The  municipality 
of  Florence  wishing  to  erect  in  the  church  of  Santa  Croce  a 
monument  to  Dante,  Thorvaldsen  made  some  sketches  for 
it ;  but  all  these  works  were  only  talked  about,  and  were 
never  executed.  Such  was  the  case  also  with  a  monument 
ordered  the  following  3^ear,  through  Baron  von  Schubart,  to 
commemorate  the  naval  victory  of  the  Americans  over  the 
Tripoline  fleet. 

Thorvaldsen's  health  had  been  much  benefited  by  his  last 
summer's  vacation  at  Montenero.  The  baron,  remembering 
this,  wrote  to  the  artist,  July  26,  1805  :  — 

"Tell  me,  for  the  love  of  God,  what  are  you  doing  in  Rome  dur- 
ing this  terrible  heat  in  which  you  cannot  possibly  work?  Why  have 
you  not  come  to  our  charming  Montenero,  which  is  looking  even 
more  lovely  than  it  did  last  summer,  when  you  gave  us  the  pleasure 
of  your  company?  Cannot  you  break  away,  and  come  here  to  pass 
five  or  six  weeks  of  the  hottest  weather?  My  wife  says  that  you  owe 
it  to  your  health.  Say  at  Rome  that  you  are  ill,  and  are  going  to 
pass  a  fortnight  at  Montenero  to  finish  some  small  works  you  have 
on  hand  here." 

We  see  by  this  letter  with  what  kindly  feelings  the  baron 
and  baroness  regarded  their  friend.    Herr  von  Schubart  was 


1  Five  thousand  Roman  crowns  were  proposed  to  the  artist  as  the  price  for  tlus 
statue. 


38 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEX. 


not  ignorant  of  the  storm  raised  the  preceding  year  by  Anna 
Maria's  jealousy,  and  now  scarcely  hoped  to  succeed.  The 
sculptor,  whose  amiable  disposition  was  ill  suited  to  these 
terrible  quarrels,  preferred  to  submit  quietty  to  the  yoke  than 
pay  so  dearly  for  throwing  it  off;  and  Mme.  d'Uhden  would 
undoubtedly  have  gained  the  day,  had  it  not  been  for  a 
happy  accident.  It  chanced  that  Count  von  Rantzau,  a 
nobleman  of  Holstein,  arrived  in  Rome  just  at  this  time ; 
he  went  daily  to  see  Thorvaldsen  in  his  atelier ;  they  took 
a  fancy  to  each  other  at  once,  and  a  friendship  sprung  up 
between  them  which  lasted  until  death.  The  count 
had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  baron,  which  he  told 
Thorvaldsen  he  would  like  to  profit  b}',  but  added  that  he 
would  not  go  to  Montenero  unless  he  went  with  him.  On 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  the  artist  promised  to  accompany 
him.  A  terrible  scene  ensued  with  Mme.  d'Uhden.  But, 
his  word  once  given,  Thorvaldsen  was  ashamed  to  draw 
back.  He  was  firm,  and  neither  tears  nor  threats  had  the 
power  to  retain  him.  Out  of  all  patience  with  Anna  Maria's 
unjust  recriminations,  he  departed  without  being  reconciled  ; 
not  even  bidding  her  good-b}',  and  leaving  the  care  of  his 
ateliers  to  an  old  school-fellow,  his  friend  the  architect, 
Charles  Stanley. 

Anna  Maria  sent  word  through  this  friend,  that  "  the  ill- 
ness, vexation,  and  want  of  sleep  caused  by  Thorvaldsen's 
conduct  would  no  doubt  bring  her  to  the  grave."  The 
sculptor  was  little  moved  by  this  sad  picture,  and,  that  she 
might  be  aware  of  his  feelings,  he  wrote  Stanley  a  letter, 
intended  to  be  seen  by  the  poor  woman,  in  which  he  made 
no  mention  of  her,  but  asked  with  a  great  deal  of  solicitude 
about  the  health  of  his  little  dog  Perrucca. 

"  What  an  insult ! "  exclaimed  the  abandoned  Ariadne. 
"To  show  all  his  tenderness  for  that  ugly  brute,  only  to 
better  manifest  his  contempt  for  his  darling,  in  thus  forget- 
ting her  entirely  !  "    She  gave  vent  to  her  anger  in  a  letter 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


39 


full  of  bitter  reproaches.  This  state  of  affairs  continued  for 
quite  a  long  time  ;  until  at  last,  towards  the  end  of  August, 
Stanley  wrote  to  his  friend  that  Anna  Maria  was  growling 
desperate  at  his  silence.  Thorvaldsen  then  sent  her  a  few 
words  which  put  an  end  to  this  great  grief :  she  wrote  in  her 
turn  a  long  letter  of  piteous  lamentations,  "  ending  with  a 
very  urgent  request  that  he  would  bring  her  home  from  Leg- 
horn a  good  pair  of  small  English  scissors."  Thus  ended 
this  dramatic  incident. 


NIGHT. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


41 


CHAPTER  III. 

Baron  von  Humboldt.— Ranch. — The  "  Adonis." — The  Two  "  Hebes.'*^ 

—  The  "Triumph  of  Alexander."  —  Grand  Duchess  of  Tuscany.  — 
Baroness  von  Schubart.  —  "  Night  and  Morning."  —  The  "  Venus." 
^gina  Marbles.  —  Byron.  —  The  ' '  Hope."  —  Princess  Baryatinska. 

—  The  "Mercury." —  "  The  Three  Graces." 


CUPID  AND  PSYCHE. 


valdsen  made  his  first 

life-size,  and  represents  the  goddess  entirely 


"  The  Abduction  of  Briseis" 
and  the  group  of  "  Cupid  and 
Ps3'che"  mark  the  moment 
when  Thorvaldsen  attained 
to  tlie  full  development  of 
his  talent.  Henceforward  he 
pursued  his  art  with  ardor, 
confidence,  and  enthusiasm, 
sending  forth  from  his  ateliers 
that  great  multitude  of  works, 
chaste  and  severe  in  stj-le, 
which  have  given  him  a  place 
among  the  first  sculptors  of 
the  century. 

In  1805,  the  three  statues 
—  half-size  —  ordered  by  the 
Countess  Woronzoff,  and  al- 
most wholly  sketched  at  Mon- 
tenero,  were  put  into  marble 
with  the  greatest  care. 

About  the  same  time  Thor- 
model  of  a  "Venus."    It  is  under 
nude.  Her 


42 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


garments  are  lying  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree  :  she  holds  in  her 
right  hand  the  apple,  the  prize  of  beauty.  Of  the  two 
copies  in  marble  of  this  statue  which  still  exist,  one  belongs 
to  the  Countess  Woronzoff,  the  other  to  Mme.  von  Ropp. 
But  although  several  amateurs  were  anxious  to  have  copies 
of  it,  the  artist,  dissatisfied  with  the  size  he  had  adopted, 
broke  up  the  model.  He  afterward  executed  the  same 
Venus  the  size  of  life.  In  1806,  through  the  agency  of  the 
Countess  von  Schimmelmann,  sister  of  Baron  von  Schubart, 
Thorvaldsen  received  a  commission  for  two  baptismal  fonts 
for  the  church  of  Brahe-Trolleborg,  in  the  Island  of  Fionia. 
These,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  are  the  first 
religious  works  undertaken  by  him.  He  continued,  none  the 
less,  however,  to  give  his  attention  to  subjects  taken  from 
the  Greek  mythology,  which  he  preferred  to  all  others  ;  and 
while  engaged  upon  the  fonts,  modelled  a  "  Hebe,"  half-size, 
ordered  by  a  Danish  baron.  In  the  right  hand  she  holds  a 
brimming  cup,  and  her  tunic  unfastened  at  the  shoulder 
leaves  bare  the  right  breast. 

The  zeal  with  which  Thorvaldsen  devoted  himself  to  his 
art  did  not  cause  him  to  neglect  his  social  relations.  His 
atelier,  always  open,  was  constantly  filled  with  visitors.  In 
manner  he  was  kind  and  sympathetic  ;  and,  as  he  conversed 
with  ease,  and  told  stories  in  an  interesting  way,  he  made 
the  time  pass  pleasantly  to  his  sitters.  Not  only  did  he 
receive  callers  with  affabilit}",  but  he  went  willingly  into 
societ3\  He  was  particularly  fond  of  visiting  at  the  house 
of  Baron  William  von  Humboldt,  who  was  then  Prussian 
ambassador  to  the  court  of  Rome.  Previous  to  the  spring  of 
1807,  the  baron  had  lived  in  the  villa  di  Malta,  but  was  now 
established  in  a  grand  palace  in  the  Strada  Gregoriana, 
near  Trinitd  di  Monti.  Here  he  entertained  strangers  and 
distinguished  foreigners  from  all  parts  ;  everj^bodj^  in  Rome, 
in  fact,  who  had  any  claims  to  distinction.  Thorvaldsen  met 
here  his  friend  Zoega,  and  the  painter  Camuccini ;  but  the 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEJSr, 


43 


person  who  charmed  him  above  all  others  was  a  3'oung  girl, 
Mademoiselle  Ida  Brun,  afterward  Countess  de  Bombelles, 
whose  mother,  Madame  Fredericka  Brun,  had  been  a  generous 
friend  to  him'  in  the  outset  of  his  career. 

Thorvaldsen  had  undertaken  to  give  drawing  lessons  to 
Mademoiselle  Ida,  but  much  preferred  hearing  her  sing, 
while  he  accompanied  her  on  the  guitar,  upon  which  he 
played  with  much  taste.  A  true  artist,  he  was  deeply  im- 
pressed by  the  beauty  of  this  3^oung  girl,  who  was  also 
remarkable  for  her  talents  and  cultivation.  He  worshipped 
her  with  a  respectful  admiration,  and  did  all  in  his  power 
to  please  her.^ 

Ranch,  who  came  to  Rome  about  this  time,  was  also  re- 
ceived at  the  Baron  von  Humboldt's.  Thorvaldsen  wel- 
comed kindly  the  young  artist,  then  wholly  unknown,  and 
with  his  usual  friendliness  procured  him  several  commissions, 
which  gave  the  Berlin  sculptor  an  opportunity  to  show  his 
ability.  Ranch,  some  time  afterward,  received  commissions 
to  execute  the  mausoleum  of  Queen  Louisa  of  Prussia,  in- 
tended for  Charlottenbourg,  and  a  great  number  of  impor- 
tant works  for  the  cit}^  of  Berlin,  among  which  we  ought  -to 

1  Thorvaldsen,  some  years  later  (1810),  modelled  the  portrait  bust  of  Mademoiselle 
Brun.   In  "  L'Allemagne    Madame  de  Sta;il  thus  speaks  of  this  young  lady  :  — 

'*  I  have  already  said  that  as  a  general  thing  sculpture  loses  much  by  the  neglect  of 
the  dance.  The  only  phenomenon  of  that  art  in  Germany  is  Ida  Brun,  a  young  girl 
whose  social  position  shuts  her  out  from  a  professional  career.  She  has  received 
from  nature  and  her  mother  a  wondei'ful  talent  for  representing  by  simple  attitudes 
charming  pictures  and  beautiful  statues.  Her  dancing  is  a  succession  of  floating 
chefs  cfceiivre,  every  one  of  which  we  long  to  fix  forever.  It  is  true  that  the 
mother  of  Ida  has  expressed  in  her  writings  all  that  her  daughter  embodies  in  the 
dance.  The  poems  of  Mme.  Brun  reveal  in  ai*t  and  nature  a  thousand  new  beauties 
not  perceived  by  careless  eyes.  I  saw  the  young  Ida,  while  still  a  child,  represent 
Althea  about  to  burn  the  brand  on  which  the  life  of  her  son  Meleager  depends.  She 
portrayed  without  words  the  grief,  the  inward  struggle,  the  terrible  resolve  of  a 
mother.  Through  her  intense  facial  expression  undoubtedly,  she  made  us  under- 
stand the  conflict  within ;  but  the  art  of  varying  her  gestures,  and  the  artistic  way 
she  folded  her  purple  mantle  about  her,  produced  at  least  as  much  effect  as  her 
countenance  itself.  She  often  remained  in  one  position  for  some  time,  and  then  a 
painter  could  imagine  nothing  finer  than  the  picture  she  improvised.  Such  a  talent 
is  unique." 


44 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


mention  particularly  the  monument  erected  to  the  memory 
of  Frederick  the  Great. 

The  young  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria,  who  afterward  became 
king,  and  who  was  always  an  enthusiastic  patron  of  the  arts, 
began  at  that  time  that  regular  correspondence  with  Thor- 
valdsen  which  he  ever  afterward  kept  up.  He  was  now 
collecting  antique  marbles  for  his  new  museum  at  Munich, 
the  Glj^ptothek,  and  had  in  Eome  very  zealous  agents  con- 
stantly on  the  watch  for  artistic  discoveries,  but  often  puzzled 
to  know  whether  the  objects  presented  to  them  as  antiques 
were  true  or  false.  Thorvaldsen,  whose  judgment  had  been 
formed  by  a  long  and  passionate  study  of  the  works  of  high 
art,  was  never  deceived.  The  agents  of  the  prince  had  occa- 
sion a  number  of  times  to  congratulate  themselves  upon 
having  consulted  him.  He  once  prevented  them  from  pur- 
chasing a  large  vase  of  suspicious  origin,  which  the  dealers 
tried  to  pass  off  for  a  masterpiece  of  antique  Greek  art.^ 
Shortly  afterward  the  dishonesty  of  these  dealers  was  pub- 
licly exposed,  and  the  prince  hastened  to  thank  the  sculptor 
to  whom  he  had  already  given  important  commissions.  This 
interference,  however,  on  the  part  of  Thorvaldsen,  gained 
him  the  ill-will  of  the  men  whose  dishonorable  traflSc  he  had 
injured. 

At  this  epoch  a  serious  conflict  was  on  the  point  of  break- 
ing out  between  Napoleon  I  and  Pius  VH.  The  first  result 
of  the  contention  between  the  Emperor  and  the  Pope  was 
the  occupation  of  the  Roman  States,  and  afterward  of  Rome 
itself,  by  the  French  army.  General  Miollis  entered  the 
city  without  firing  a  shot,  Feb.  2d,  1808,  and  took  posses- 
sion of  the  Castle  of  Saint  Angelo,  and  all  other  important 
posts.  From  this  time  the  Pope  —  until  he  was  removed 
from  Rome  by  his  opposition  to  the  inflexible  will  of  the 
Emperor  —  was  sovereign  only  in  name. 


Thiele. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


45 


The  life  of  artists  in  Rome  was  naturally  not  a  little  dis- 
turbed by  these  commotions.  Nevertheless,  Thorvaldsen 
pursued  his  work  with  a  perseverance  which  testifies  to  his 
love  of  his  profession.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  executed 
a  statue  of  Mars  Pacificator,"  eight  feet  in  height,  which 
the  Prince  of  Bavaria  ordered  in  marble. 

He  afterward  chose  in  its  stead  an  "Adonis"  which  he 
saw  in  the  sculptor's  atelier. 

The  "Adonis,"  upon  which  the  artist  worked  long  and 
steadity,  was  modelled  in  1808,  but  not  completely  finished 
until  1832.  It  is  a  masterpiece  of  grace  and  antique  sim- 
plicity ;  and  is  moreover  the  onlj^  one  of  the  artist's  works 
wrought  out  entirel}^  by  his  own  hands,  a  stipulation  insisted 
upon  by  the  prince,  who  knew  that  the  m^ister  was  accus- 
tomed to  leave  to  his  workmen  the  task  of  rough-hewing 
and  even  finishing  his  statues,  usually  reserving  to  himself 
only  the  last  few  touches.  The  "Adonis"  is  now  in  the 
Glyptothek  of  Munich,  in  the  centre  of  the  hall  devoted  to 
modern  works. 

Canova  professed  a  great  admiration  for  this  statue. 
Meeting  Mme.  Fredericka  Brun  one  day  at  the  Villa  Doria, 
he  asked  her  if  she  had  seen  the  "  Adonis."  "  Not  yet,"  she 
replied.  "  You  must  see  it,"  he  rejoined  ;  "  for  it  is  an  admi- 
rable statue,  noble  and  simple,  in  the  true  antique  st3^1e,  and 
full  of  feeling;"  and  with  warmth,  "Your  friend,  madame, 
is  a  divine  man."  Then,  after  a  few  moments'  silence,  — 
"  But  it  is  a  pitj^  I  am  no  longer  young." 

Notwithstanding  these  kind  words,  we  might  infer,  from 
some  remarks  of  Thorvaldsen,  that  Canova  did  not  always 
act  with  frankness  towards  his  3'oung  rival.  "Whenever 
Canova  had  completed  a  new  work,"  said  Thorvaldsen,  some- 
time afterward  to  an  intimate  friend,  "  he  usually  invited  me 
to  come  and  see  it.  He  wanted  my  opinion.  If  I  made  any 
criticism,  as,  for  instance,  that  perhaps  it  would  be  better 
to  make  a  certain  fold  of  drapery  fall  in  such  or  such  a  way, 


46 


LIFE  OF  TIIOBVALDSEN. 


lie  would  always  acknowledge  the  justice  of  my  remark, 
embrace  and  thank  me  warml}^,  but  never  change  any- 
thing. Out  of  politeness  I  used  to  invite  him  to  visit  me 
in  my  atelier.  He  would  come ;  but  always  restricted  him- 
self to  telling  me  that  all  my  works  were  excellent,  — 
excelloitissimo ;  and  that  there  was  absolutely  nothing  to 
criticise."  ^ 

The  w^ork  of  restoring  the  palace  of  Christiansborg  at 
Copenhagen,  which  had  been  devastated  by  the  great  fire, 
was  now  going  on ;  and  Thorvaldsen  was  charged  with  the 
execution  of  four  circular  bas-reliefs,  representing  "Prome- 
theus and  Minerva,"  "  Hercules  and  Hebe,"  "  Esculapius  and 
Hygeia,"  "  Jupiter  and  Nemesis." 

During  this  same  year,  1808,  on  the  6th  of  March,  Thor- 
valdsen was  made  an  honorary  member  of  the  Academy  of 
Saint  Luke,  at  Rome,  and  executed  as  his  diploma  work  a 
famous  bas-relief,  often  reproduced,  and  known  under  the 
title,  "  A  genio  lumen."  Art  is  represented  b}^  the  figure  of 
a  woman,  prepared  to  draw  on  her  tablets,  and  waiting  for 
the  Genius  of  Inspiration  to  pour  oil  into  the  lamp.  A 
membership  in  the  Academy  of  Saint  Luke  gave  Thorvaldsen 
the  right  to  take  part  in  the  instruction  of  the  pupils  of  that 
school ;  but  his  influence  was  impaired  by  cabals,  which  have 
sometimes  been  said  —  and  very  erroneousl}",  we  think  —  to 
have  been  fomented  by  Canova.  These  cabals  were  set  on 
foot  by  artists  of  no  merit,  who  were  jealous  that  "  a  bar- 
barian from  the  remote  North "  should  rob  them  of  fame  and 
occupation.  Thorvaldsen's  pupils  were  long  subject  to  ill- 
treatment  :  attempts  were  made  to  humiliate  them,  and  they 
had  to  complain  of  some  acts  of  injustice. 

In  addition  to  these  annoyances  instigated  by  the  envious, 
Thorvaldsen  was  to  endure  other  and  more  bitter  trials. 
Just  before  the  forced  departure  of  the  Pope,  he  lost  by 


1  Thiele. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


47 


death  his  old  school-fellow  the  architect  Stanley,  and  soon 
afterward  his  first  patron  in  Rome,  his  friend  Zoega.  This 
wise  counsellor  of  the  artist  died  Feb.  10,  1809.  Through 
his  illness  Thorvaldsen  had  been  devoted  to  him,  and  after 
his  death  he  took  a  mask  of  his  face  and  modelled  his  bust. 
He  also  made  the  drawing  for  the  portrait  in  Welcker's 
biography  of  Zoega.  And  he  did  not  stop  here  ;  but  trans- 
ferring to  the  family  of  his  friend  part  of  the  affection  he  had 
borne  to  him,  he  interested  himself  in  the  settlement  of  the 
estate,  a  matter  which  occasioned  him  much  trouble  and  per- 
plexity. 

But  in  spite  of  political  agitations  and  private  trials,  the 
year  1809  proved  not  unfruitful.  The  earlier  and  finer  of 
the  two  bas-reliefs  of  "Hector  confronting  Paris  and  Helen" 
was  composed  at  this  time ;  also  four  other  bas-reliefs : 
"  Love  conquering  the  Lion,"  "  The  Birth  of  Venus,"  "  Love 
stung  by  a  Bee,"  and  "Mercury  giving  to  Ino  the  infant 
Bacchus." 

In  1810,  the  King  of  Denmark  conferred  upon  Thorvald- 
sen the  title  of  Knight  of  Danebrog  ;  and  hereafter,  as  is  the 
custom  in  Italy,  he  was  called  "  Cavaliere' Alberto.''  It  was 
a  convenient  way  of  avoiding  the  pronunciation  of  his  Dan- 
ish name,  always  very  difficult  for  the  Italians. 

The  years  1810  and  1811  are  marked  by  two  charming 
compositions,  "  Cupid  reviving  the  Fainting  Psyche,"  and 
"  Bacchus  presenting  the  Cup  to  Love  ; "  also  two  other  bas- 
reliefs,  "Summer"  and  "Autumn."  The  colossal  statue  of 
Mars,  modelled  after  a  sketch  made  some  years  previous, 
and  now  grouped  with  a  statue  of  Love  ;  the  bust  of  the 
chaiming  Mademoiselle  Ida  Brun,  his  own  portrait  as  a 
colossal  Hermes,  and  the  lovely  statue  of  Psyche  belong  to 
the  year  1811. 

The  fame  acquired  by  Thorvaldsen  constantly  increasing, 
the  Danish  people,  justly  proud  of  him,  began  to  manifest  an 
ardent  desire  that  he  should  return  to  his  native  land.  He 


48 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


had  left  his  home  3'oung  and  almost  unknown :  he  was 
now  famous,  and  his  country  was  eager  to  reclaim  him. 
A  quarr}-  of  marble  having-  been  discovered  in  Norway, 
the  hereditary  prince  of  Denmark,  Christian  Frederick,  an 
enthusiastic  patron  of  the  arts,  who  had  done  his  utmost 
to  promote  their  prosperity  in  his  native  country,  made 
this  a  pretext  to  write  the  following  letter  to  Thorvald- 
sen :  — 

Herr  Professor  and  Chevalier,  — 

It  will  perhaps  be  agreeable  to  you  to  receive  these  few  lines  from 
a  fellow-countryman  who  esteems  you  highly,  and  knows  how  to 
appreciate  your  merit.  I  talse  advantage,  tlierefore,  of  this  good 
opportunity  to  present  to  you  my  most  sincere  compliments. 

My  love  for  the  fine  arts,  and  my  earnest  efforts  to  propagate 
them  in  my  country,  naturally  inspire  me  with  a  desire  to  see 
and  know  the  greatest  sculptor  of  his  day.  There  is  work  for 
you  here.  The  activity  of  your  rich  and  fruitful  mind  will  have 
full  scope.  You  can,  and  doubtless  will,  be  of  service  to  the  Acad- 
emy, whose  members  watched  with  delight  your  early  progress  in 
the  career  of  art,  and  who  lost  no  time  in  admitting  into  their  num- 
ber a  man  capable  of  exercising  so  happy  an  influence  upon  young 
artists. 

Italy  is  scarcely  what  it  was  :  your  own  country  is  still  unchanged. 
Perhaps  you  may  also  find  that  the  arts  have  made  some  progress 
here.    What  an  impulse  would  your  presence  give  to  them ! 

But  I  do  not  wish  to  employ  persuasion.  I  rely  upon  your  own 
feelings  for  the  accomplishment  of  my  dearest  wishes  as  a  Dane,  and 
as  President  of  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts. 

The  Baron  von  Schubart,  his  Majesty's  chamberlain,  who  has 
kindly  ofiered  to  take  charge  of  this  letter,  will  hand  you  a  specimen 
of  the  white  marble  just  discovered  in  Norway.  We  expect  soon  a 
large  block,  and  more  afterward,  which  will  be  at  your  service ;  and 
I  do  not  doubt  that,  while  you  stay  with  us,  you  will  be  able  to  exe- 
cute works  in  marble.  Regard  this  as  another  reason  for  hastening 
your  return ;  and  rest  assured  that  I  have  no  wish  to  confine  your 
activity  to  limits  too  narrow  for  you.  You  will  be  always  free  to  re- 
turn in  search  of  inspiration  to  those  happy  regions  which  are  now 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


49 


favored  by  your  presence.    A  small  portion  of  your  life  for  the  ser- 
vice of  your  country  is  all  I  ask. 
I  am,  Herr  Professor,  with  esteem,  your  affectionate 

Christian  Frederick, 
Prince  of  Denmark  and  Norway. 

Copenhagen,  Dec.  20, 1811. 

The  prince's  letter  was  not  the  only  one  received  by  the 
artist :  all  his  friends  united  in  soliciting  him  to  return. 
Thorvaldsen  would  have  consented  gladly :  he  even  made 
some  preliminary  preparations  for  the  journey,  when  he  was 
unavoidably  detained  in  Rome  by  a  commission  of  the  utmost 
importance. 

The  French  Academy  in  Rome  had  just  received  an  order 
to  ornament  with  great  magnificence  the  Quii:inal  Palace. 
An  approaching  visit  of  the  French  Emperor  was  announced. 
Time  pressed,  and  the  works  were  begun  at  once.  The 
architect  Stern,  who  directed  them,  proposed  to  Thorvaldsen 
that  he  should  compose  the  bas-reliefs  that  were  to  form  a 
frieze  for  one  of  the  most  spacious  halls,  and  left  to  him  the 
choice  of  subjects.  The  sculptor  decided  to  represent  the 
"Entry  of  Alexander  the  Great  into  Babylon."  It  is  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  important  of  his  works.  There  was 
no  time  to  lose,  as  this  enormous  piece  of  sculpture  had  to  be 
finished  in  the  space  of  three  months ;  and  he  accordingl}^ 
set  about  it  with  great  enthusiasm.  Being  especially  desir- 
ous to  give  the  composition  breadth  of  style,  he  was  forced 
to  sacrifice  the  details  to  the  general  eff'ect.  The  frieze, 
however,  was  intended  for  so  high  a  position  that  finish  of 
execution  was  of  secondary  importance.  As  soon  as  one 
piece  had  left  his  hands  he  took  hastily  from  the  clay  a 
mould,!  from  which  one  copy  only  could  be  cast.  Those  who 
saw  this  work  from  a  near  point  of  view  did  not  form  a  very 


1  Thiele. 


50 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


high  opinion  of  it.  Notwithstanding  all  the  zeal  of  the 
artist,  the  frieze  was  not  finished  until  June,  1812.  But 
when  all  the  pieces  were  put  together  and  placed  at  the 
proper  height,  the  work  surpassed  even  the  expectations  of 
Thorvaldsen's  friends.  The  imperfections  of  execution  dis- 
appeared, and  only  the  harmony  of  the  composition  was 
seen,  recalling  in  a  happy  manner  the  admirable  friezes  of 
antiquity. 

Before  the  several  portions  of  "  The  Triumph  of  Alex- 
ander" left  his  atelier,  Thorvaldsen,  by  the  advice  of  the 
architect  Mailing,  took  another  mould  of  them,  from  which 
a  new  plaster  was  cast.  He  thought  that  the  King  of  Den- 
mark might  be  glad  to  possess  a  copy  of  this  composition, 
for  which  a  fitting  place  could  be  found  in  the  "  Rittersaal," 
or  knight's  hall,  in  the  new  palace.  It  was  from  this  plaster 
that  he  subsequently  executed  the  first  marble  copy  ordered 
by  Napoleon  I,  and  supposed  to  have  been  intended  for 
the  Temple  of  G-lory,  now  the  Church  of  the  Madeleine.'- 
The  price  was  320,000  francs,  of  which  the  half  only  was 
paid,  when  reverse  of  fortune  sent  Napoleon  to  the  Island 
of  Elba.  The  Bourbon  government  was  not  eager  to  facil- 
itate the  completion  of  a  work  intended  to  glorify  the 
new  Alexander ;  and  the  artist,  after  ofi'ering  it  unsuc- 
cessfully to  several  European  sovereigns  for  the  sum  neces- 
sary to  finish  it,  finally  disposed  of  it  to  a  private  individ- 
ual, a  rich  amateur,  the  Count  of  Sommariva,  for  100,000 
francs. 

The  first  hasty  conception  of  this  work  met  with  some 
adverse  criticisms.  Thorvaldsen  paid  heed  to  those  he 
thought  just,  and  corrected  his  compositions  with  the  great- 
est care.  He  first  changed  the  attitude  of  the  principal  fig- 
ure, Alexander  in  his  chariot,  which  was  too  theatrical.  The 
change  was  a  happy  one.    He  also  modified  some  of  the 


1  Thiele. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJS.  51 


details  of  other  portions.  While  he  was  putting  this  com- 
position into  marble,  he  modelled  for  the  Danish  govern- 
ment a  new  copy  in  i^laster ;  for,  to  the  deep  regret  of  the 
artist,  the  state  of  the  Danish  finances  did  not  allow  of  a 
greater  outla3^  The  whole  work  may  be  said  to  have  been 
remodelled ;  and  the  Romans  were  so  delighted  with  it  that 
they  gave  him  the  rather  extraordinary  title  of  "  Patriarch 
of  Bas-relief."  ^  Subsequently  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  exe- 
cuting the  frieze  in  marble  for  his  countrj^men. 

Feb.  12,  1812,  the  sculptor  was  made  member  of  the 
Imperial  Academy  of  Vienna.  Though  "  The  Triumph  of 
Alexander"  occupied  almost  all  his  time,  he  undertook  this 
same  year  several  other  great  works.  Napoleon's  speech  of 
the  26th  of  June,  on  the  occasion  of  the  general  confer- 
ence of  Warsaw,  having  held  out  hopes  for  the  re-estab- 
lishment of  the  kingdom  of  Poland,  the  Polish  national 
government  wished  to  erect  a  monument  in  memory  of 
the  occurrence.  The  Emperor's  words  were  engraved  on 
a  marble  tablet,  and  the  architrave  above  was  to  be  up- 
held by  two  carj^atides,  for  which  Thorvaldsen  received  a 
commission.  But  these  two  figures  met  with  the  same  fate 
as  "  The  Triumph  of  Alexander."  The  artist  fell  ill,  and 
could  not  finish  the  statues  soon  enough,  and  when  the}^ 
were  ready  there  was  no  longer  any  Poland !  The}^  were 
afterward  purchased  by  the  Danish  government,  and  placed 
each  side  of  the  royal  throne  in  the  palace  of  Christians- 
borg. 

In  June  and  July,  1813,  Thorvaldsen  sufl'ered  from  another 
attack  of  that  malignant  fever  of  which  he  was  so  often  the 
victim,  and  was  forced  to  suspend  work.  While  in  this  con- 
dition he  received  a  letter  from  the  Baron  von  Schubart, 
begging  him  to  come  to  Montenero  and  join  them  in  a  trip 
to  the  baths  of  Lucca,  whither  they  were  going  for  the  health 


Nagler. 


52 


LIFE  OF  THOnVALDSEN. 


of  the  baroness.  This  was  a  fine  opportunity  for  the  artist, 
and  all  his  friends  urged  him  to  embrace  it.  Even  the  jeal- 
ous Anna  Maria  offered  no  opposition,  for  she  saw  that 
Thorvaldsen  really  needed  rest.  He  was  now  bound  to  her 
more  closely  than  ever,  by  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  to  whom 
he  was  tenderly  attached.  He  nevertheless  decided  to  leave 
the  mother  and  child  in  charge  of  an  Italian  family  with 
whom  Anna  Maria  was  intimate./  The  father  of  this  family 
was  a  dealer  in  curiosities,  named  Angelo  Cremaschi :  he 
had  a  wife  and  two  daughters. 

Having  put  his  affairs  in  order, ^  and  made  some  arrange- 
ments respecting  his  ateliers,  Thorvaldsen  left  for  Montenero, 
and  thence  went  to  Lucca  with  the  baron  and  baroness. 
His  sojourn  at  the  baths  was  delightful.  His  reputation 
brought  him  much  gratifying  notice,  while  he  was  specially 
flattered  by  the  attentions  paid  him  by  young  and  pretty 
women.  He  had  now  become  in  every  respect  a  man  of 
the  world,  and  when  he  chose  was  perfectly  at  home  iu 
the  best  societ}^  The  grand-duchess  of  Tuscany,  who  was 
then  at  Lucca,  received  him  so  kindly  that  the  report  of 
it  spread  abroad.  There  is  nothing,  however,  to  lead  us 
to  suppose  that  she  favored  him  excepting  as  an  artist ; 
but  as  the  princess  sent  for  him  afterward  to  Florence, 
to  confide  some  important  works  to  him,  this  simple  fact 
gave  rise  to  countless  rumors,  some  of  which  reaching 
Rome,  created  a  great  excitement  in  the  household  of  Sig- 
nora  Cremaschi.  The  feminine  council  drew  from  them 
the  most  exaggerated  conclusions,  disquieting  the  jealous 
Anna  Maria,  and  consequently  disturbing  her  nursing  in- 
fant. 

In  the  month  of  December  Thorvaldsen  returned  tran- 

1  His  two  dogs  only  remained  to  be  provided  for,  —  Perrucca  and  Teverino.  We 
know  how  attached  Thorvaldsen  was  to  these  animals.  A  friend  in  whom  he  had  all 
confidence,  and  who  afterward  became  a  celebrated  artist,  the  sculptor  Rodolph 
Schadow,  consented  to  take  charge  of  them.  (Thiele.) 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


53 


quilly  to  Rome,  his  health  wholly  restored  by  this  rest  of 
several  months.  By  letters  received  from  Montenero,  he 
heard  the  good  news  that  the  baroness  was  equally  bene- 
fited. He  was  therefore  much  shocked  when  in  the  ensuing 
February  (1814)  he  was  suddenly  informed,  by  a  letter  from 
the  baron,  that  that  excellent  woman  had  died  after  a  short 
illness.  Thorvaldsen  felt  her  death  keenlj^  The  baroness 
was  as  modest  as  she  was  accomplished.  With  no  ostenta- 
tion in  her  manner  of  bestowing  favors,  she  liked  to  be  of 
service  to  artists,  and  to  Thorvaldsen  in  particular  she  had 
ever  been  a  kind  patron  and  true  friend.  In  his  heartfelt 
desire  to  testify  his  gratitude,  he  set  to  work  immediately 
and  modelled  a  bas-relief,  representing  her  husband  trying 
to  recall  his  spouse,  while  the  Genius  of  Death  extinguishes 
the  torch  of  life. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  when  Thorvaldsen  had  lost  his 
best  friend,  that  Pietro  Tenerani,  who  was  one  day  to 
become  his  most  remarkable  pupil,  entered  his  atelier.  Te- 
nerani was  nephew  of  a  certain  Pietro  Marchetti,  a  marble- 
worker  of  Carrara,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  furnishing  the 
master  with  the  marble  blocks  he  required  for  his  work. 

A  young  Danish  painter,  Eckersberg,  came  to  Rome  at 
the  same  time,  and  was  kindly  assisted  by  Thorvaldsen. 
The  two  soon  became  friends ;  and  Eckersberg  painted 
the  sculptor's  portrait,  one  of  the  best  likenesses  of  him 
that  we  have,  —  a  little  cold,  but  finely  touched,  it  gives 
us  a  very  correct  idea  of  how  Thorvaldsen  looked  at 
forty. 

In  1814,  the  artist  composed  the  bas-relief  of  "  Nessus  and 
Dejanira,"  and  returned  again  to  the  subject  of  "  Love  Vic- 
torious,"—  not  being  satified  with  a  previous  attempt.  A 
small  statue,  the  "  Boy  Cupid,"  and  another  of  the  young 
Georgina  Russell,  are  of  the  same  date. 

To  the  year  1815  belong  four  important  bas-reliefs  :  "  The 
Workshop  of  Vulcan,"  where,  grouped  near  the  god,  are 


54 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJS'. 


Venus,  Cupid,  and  Mars  ;  the  beautiful  composition  "  Achilles 
and  Priam,"  of  which  we  have  already  spoken,  —  a  great  and 
masterly  work,  and,  to  our  thinking,  Thorvaldsen's  chef- 
d'oeuvre;  and  the  two  famous  medallions  "Morning"  and 
"  Night."  The  latter,  it  is  said,  was  conceived  during  a 
sleepless  night,  and  modelled  in  one  da}'.  It  is  truly  a  piece 
of  inspiration.  The  Goddess  of  the  Shades,  launched  with 
infinite  lightness  into  space,  slowly  wings  her  flight,  carry- 
ing in  her  arms  her  two  children  Sleep  and  Death.  The 
"  Morning "  is  also  a  very  graceful  work,  but  not  so  fine 
as  the  other.  There  is  between  the  two  all  the  distance 
which  separates  sudden,  irresistible  inspiration  from  inge- 
nious and  studied  effort.  These  two  medallions,  prized 
highly  by  connoisseurs,  soon  acquired  immense  popularity : 
they  were  engraved  on  precious  stones  and  on  cameos, 
moulded  in  plaster  and  porcelain,  —  reproduced,  in  fact, 
under  all  forms. 

While  these  two  bas-reliefs  were  adding  to  Thorvaldsen's 
reputation  in  Rome,  and  the  Italians  themselves,  in  spite  of 
their  instinctive  jealousy  of  strangers,  could  no  longer  with- 
hold their  praise,  a  few  of  his  works,  especially  a  fine 
series  of  drawings  sent  to  the  Copenhagen  Exposition, 
attracted  to  him  more  than  ever  the  attention  of  his  country- 
men. The  Danish  capital  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the 
bombardment  by  the  English  in  1807,  and  a  large  portion 
was  still  to  be  rebuilt.  Frederick  VI,  the  reigning  sover- 
eign, had  very  little  knowledge  of  art,  and  being  of  a  frank 
and  honorable  nature,  declined  to  assume,  even  in  appear- 
ance, a  part  for  which  he  felt  that  he  was  by  nature  unfitted. 
He  was  glad  to  leave  to  his  cousin  Prince  Christian  Frederick 
its  honors  and  its  responsibilities.  That  prince,  notwith- 
standing the  failure  of  his  former  invitation,  was  so  anxious 
to  secure  the  assistance  of  Thorvaldsen,  which  he  knew 
would  be  invaluable,  that  he  was  ready  to  tr}^  everj^  means 
to  attain  his  end.    He  therefore  strongly  urged  the  artist's 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


55 


friends  to  join  their  entreaties  to  his  own ;  and  thus  the 
sculptor  received  almost  at  the  same  moment  a  number  of 
pressing  letters,  which  dwelt  upon  the  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  in  Copenhagen,  and  the  need  they  had  of  his  assist- 
ance. He  was  told  at  the  same  time  that  it  would  be  unpa- 
triotic in  him  to  withhold  it. 

"You  and  your  works  are  much  talked  of,"  writes  his  friend  Pro- 
fessor Brondsted,  Dec.  2,  1815,  "not  only  by  the  few  who  have 
really  a  love  and  knowledge  of  art,  but  by  two  other  classes  of  peo- 
ple, whose  judgments,  though  not  entitled  to  much  esteem  and  often 
faulty,  have  weight  from  the  influence  exerted  by  those  who  hold 
them ;  and  by  these  two  classes  I  mean  the  common  herd  and  what 
is  usually  called  the  heau  monde,  or  aristocracy.  The  opinions  of  the 
latter  are  often  neither  noble  nor  great,  as  long  experience  has 
shown.  But  I  must  do  them  the  justice  to  say,  that  latterly  they 
have  always  spoken  of  you  with  an  enthusiasm  which  has  given  me 
as  well  as  your  other  friends  great  pleasure ;  though  it  is  easy  for  us 
to  see  that  this  admiration  has  not  its  source  either  in  just  ideas  of 
art  in  general,  or  any  distinct  perception  of  your  genius  and  worth 
in  particular.  ...  To  be  brief,  the  conclusion  of  all  this  is,  that  you 
ought  to  come  for  the  sake  of  the  country  as  well  as  for  art  and 
yourself." 

This  was  true,  and  Thorvaldsen  recognized  it.  But  though 
he  had  a  sincere  desire  to  devote  his  talents  and  knowledge 
to  his  countr3''s  service,  he  was  obliged  to  defer  this  gratifi- 
cation to  some  future  time.  That  he  might  execute  the 
orders  flowing  in  from  all  quarters,  he  had  just  provided  him- 
self with  larger  work-rooms.  At  the  foot  of  the  high  terraces 
of  the  Palace  Barberini,  at  the  corner  of  the  piazza  and  the 
Vicolo  delle  Colonette,  he  had  noticed  three  buildings  admira- 
bly suited  to  his  purpose.  They  adjoined  each  other  and 
had  a  garden.  He  converted  them  into  three  work-rooms, 
where  he  lived  long  years,  composing  new  works  and  making 
his  pup-Is  reproduce  them.  He  was  just  settled  in  them 
wlien  these  letters  urging  him  to  return  came  from  Copen- 
hagen.   All  he  could  do,  therefore,  was  to  send  a  letter  of 


56 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


excuse  to  the  Prince  of  Denmark,  pleading  his  numerous 
engagements,  and  the  necessity  he  was  under  of  fulfilling 
them,  and  promising  at  the  same  time  not  to  contract  any 
new  obligations,  so  as  to  be  free  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  his 
countrymen  the  following  spring.  But  many  unforeseen  ob- 
stacles intervened,  and  the  project  was  not  carried  into  effect 
until  July,  1819. 

This  period  of  Thorvaldsen's  life  in  Rome  was  also  fruitful 
in  great  works.  In  1816  he  modelled  a  new  statue  of 
"  Hebe,"  a  variation  of  the  one  he  had  composed  ten  years 
before.  In  the  first,  the  right  breast  is  bare ;  while  in  the 
second,  which  is  more  amply  draped,  the  bosom  is  entirely 
covered,  and  the  whole  statue  is  characterized  b}^  a  modest 
grace.  He  made,  besides,  a  new  "  Ganymede."  The  first 
holds  a  brimming  cup,  the  second  pours  from  an  amphora 
the  nectar  of  the  gods. 

The  "  Venus"  was  finished  the  same  year,  that  noble  and 
beautiful  statue  which  the  artist  had  so  long  studied,  and  for 
which  he  had  employed  successively  more  than  thirty  models. 
The  master  cast  aside  his  first  essay  made  in  1805,  with 
which  he  was  not  satisfied,  and  devoted  three  years  of  assid- 
uous labor  to  the  composition  of  the  new  figure,  one  of  his 
most  careful  works.  This  statue  has  been  often  reproduced  : 
the  first  three  copies  in  marble  were  for  Lord  Lucan,  the 
Duchess  of  Devonshire,  and — a  little  later — foV  Mr.  P  C. 
Labouchere.i  According  to  Herr  Thiele,  they  were  exposed 
to  great  risks  before  arriving  at  their  places  of  destination  in 
England.    The  left  arm  of  the  Duchess  of  Devonshire's  was 

1  Mr.  Peter  Caesar  Lalbouchere,  a  native  of  Holland,  and  at  that  time  the  head  of 
♦he  house  of  Hope  &  Co.,  Amsterdam,  had  married  a  daughter  of  Sir  Francis  Baring, 
Baronet,  and  thus  became  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Alexander  Baring,  afterward  Lord 
Ashburton.  His  son,  Mr.  Henry  Labouchere,  the  present  owner  of  the  "Venus," 
was  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  British  Cabinet,  and  one  of  her  Majesty's 
Privy  Council.  He  was  raised  to  the  Peerage  under  the  title  of  Lord  Taunton.  It  is 
he  who  figures  with  Thorvaldsen  in  the  bas-rehef  of  Homer.  The  resemblance  is 
said  to  be  perfect. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


57 


broken  when  the  vessel  was  unloading,  and  the  break  was 
concealed  by  means  of  a  gold  bracelet. i  This  copy  is  at 
Chatsworth.  The  vessel  which  carried  Lord  Lucan's  was 
wrecked  on  the  coast  of  England.  Bat  "  Venus  Astarte, 
daughter  of  the  salt  sea,"  rose  again  from  the  bosom  of 
the  waters,  thanks  to  the  efforts  made  to  save  her.  She 
was  uninjured !  Finally,  the  statue  impatiently  expected 
by  Mr.  Labouchere  safely  arrived  in  port.  The  powerful 
arm  of  the  crane  was  just  lifting  it  from  the  vessel,  when 
the  rope  broke,  and  the  weighty  box  slid  through  the  hatch- 
ways and  fell  heavily  to  the  bottom  of  the  hold.  The  cargo, 
fortunately,  was  wheat,  and  tlie  goddess  was  once  more  pre- 
served.   Ceres  had  saved  Venus. 

While  engaged  upon  his  "  Venus,"  Thorvaldsen  made 
at  the  same  time  the  famous  restoration  of  the  ^Egina 
marbles,  which  in  the  eyes  of  connoisseurs  brought  him 
as  much  well-earned  honor  as  his  own  fine  original  com- 
positions. A  work  of  this  nature  was,  in  fact,  no  common 
undertaking,  and  to  grapple  with  its  difficulties  required 
a  very  extensive  acquaintance  with  Greek  art.  But,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  Thorvaldsen  thoroughly  understood 
the  subject ;  and  he  now  gave  the  best  possible  proof  that 
he  did  so,  for  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  other  artist  could 
have  been  found  capable  of  solving  the  problem  so  satis- 
factorily. 

The  ^gina  marbles  were  discovered  in  1811,  in  the  Island 
of  ^gina,  by  Baron  von  Haller,  Cockerell,  Foster,  and 
Linkh.  They  formerly  ornamented  the  pediment  of  a  tem- 
ple consecrated  to  Jupiter  Panhellenius.  In  1812  they  were 
bought  by  the  Prince  of  Bavaria,  for  150,000  francs.  He 
had  them  transported  to  Rome,  and  Thorvaldsen  was  charged 
with  their  restoration.    A  great  number  of  fragments,  some- 

1  The  same  statue  was  also  broken  at  both  ankles ;  and,  to  conceal  the  breaks, 
anklets  have  been  placed  upon  them. 


58 


LIFE  OF  thorvaldsen: 


times  whole  limbs,  were  wanting.  The  artist  was  fully 
aware  of  the  magnitude  of  the  task  proposed,  and  it  was 
not  without  considerable  reluctance,  therefore,  that  he 
assumed  so  great  a  responsibilit}^ ;  but,  after  once  under- 
taking the  work,  it  ver}^  soon  absorbed  him  and  became  a 
favorite  occupation.  To  prosecute  it  with  more  facility, 
he  hired  premises  in  the  Corso,  where  he  had  room  enough 
to  bring  all  the  fragments  together,  recompose  the  pedi- 
ment, and  study  every  part  in  reference  to  the  whole  ;  sup- 
pl3dng  carefully  all  the  missing  pieces,  and  preserving  in 
its  purity  the  semi-hieratic  style  of  the  work.  Thorvaldsen 
was  not  more  than  a  year  in  making  this  restoration.  The 
statues  were  in  Parian  marble,  and  he  used  so  much  care 
in  matching  the  tints  of  the  new  pieces  as  almost  to  deceive 
a  practised  eye.  He  was  frequently  asked  by  visitors  to 
the  atelier,  which  were  the  restored  parts.  "  I  cannot 
say,"  he  would  reply,  laughing.  "  I  neglected  to  mark 
them,  and  I  no  longer  remember.  Find  them  out  for 
yourself,  if  you  can."  Unfortunately  the  restored  parts  of 
this  magnificent  pediment,  in  the  Glyptothek  of  Munich, 
can  now  be  distinguished  from  the  others,  at  a  first  glance, 
by  the  diff'erence  of  color ;  the  hue  of  the  new  marble  so 
carefully  matched  having  changed,  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, by  exposure  to  the  air,  whilst  the  old  remains  the 
same. 

The  following  j^ear,  1817,  Thorvaldsen  produced,  besides 
a  marble  of  "Love  Victorious,"  modelled  in  1814,  a  Bac- 
chante known  as  "  The  Dancing-girl,"  the  bust  of  Lord 
Byron,  a  "Young  Shepherd  with  his  Dog,"  a  group  of 
"  Ganj-mede  and  the  Eagle,"  and  a  statue  of  "  Hope."  In 
the  poet  Andersen's  autobiographj^,  we  find  this  account  of 
the  sculptor's  interview  with  the  author  of  "  Childe  Harold." 
"  It  was  in  Rome,"  said  Thorvaldsen,  "  that  I  made  the  bust 
of  Lord  Byron.  When  this  nobleman  came  to  sit  to  me  in 
my  atelier,  he  took  a  seat  opposite  me,  and  put  on  directly  a 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


59 


strange  expression  entirely  different  from  his  natural  one. 
'  My  Lord,'  I  said  to  him,  '  please  keep  perfectly  still ;  and  I 
beg  of  3"ou  do  not  look  so  disconsolate.'  '  It  is  my  natural 
expression,'  replied  Byron.  '  Really  ! '  I  said  ;  and  without 
paying  attention  to  this  affectation  I  began  to  work  in 
my  own  way.  When  the  bust  was  finished,  everybody 
thought  it  a  striking  likeness,  but  my  lord  was  dissatisfied. 
'  This  face  is  not  mine,'  he  said  ;  '  I  look  far  more  unhappy 
than  that,'  —  for  he  was  obstinately  bent  upon  looking  mis- 
erable !  " 

Thorvaldsen's  simple  nature,  it  is  clear,  could  scarcely 
comprehend  so  extraordinary  a  degree  of  imaginary  wretch- 
edness. The  character  of  the  two  men  was  as  opposite  a& 
their  careers  in  art  were  divergent. 

The  group  of  "  Gan3^mede  and  the  Eagle,"  "  The  Young 
Shepherd  and  Dog,"  and  the  statue  of  "  Hope,"  show,  by 
their  severity  of  style,  the  results  of  Thorvaldsen's  assid- 
uous study  of  the  ^gina  marbles.  One  day  when  he  was 
working  upon  "  The  Gan3^mede,"  his  model,  who  had  a 
ver^"  fine  figure,  sat  himself  down  in  a  corner  of  the  atelier 
and  unconsciously  assumed  a  very  charming  attitude.  Thor- 
valdsen  was  struck  with  it,  and  it  suggested  to  him  the 
composition  of  "  The  Young  Shepherd."  The  dog  was 
modelled  from  his  favorite  "  Teverino."  As  to  the  statue 
of  "  Hope,"  it  is  wholl}^  an  archaic  work.  A  reduced  copy 
was  subsequently  erected  over  the  tomb  of  the  Baroness  von 
Humboldt. 

Several  academies  had  already  conferred  upon  the  Danish 
sculptor  the  honor  of  membership :  in  the  September  of 
1817  he  received  from  the  Perugia  Academy  of  Fine  Arts 
a  diploma  of  Accademico  di  merito.  Carrara  conferred  a 
membership  upon  him,  February,  1818  ;  and  the  restoration 
of  the  ^gina  marbles  earned  for  him  a  similar  honor  from 
the  Academy  of  Archaeology  at  Rome. 


6o 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Walking  one  day  in  the  Corso,  the  artist  saw,  seated  on  a 
curb-stone,  a  porter,  whose  attitude  was  both  so  natural  and 
uncommon  that  he  was  directly  impressed  by  it.  As  usual, 
he  made  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  figure  in  his  note-book ;  and 
it  furnished  him  with  the  action  for  his  "  Mercur}^,"  one  of 
his  finest  creations,  which  was  finished  the  following  year, 
1819.  There  exist  several  copies  in  marble  of  this  beautiful 
and  severe  work. 

The  elegant  statue  of  the  Princess  Baryatinska,  in  which 
the  artist,  without  sacrificing  any  of  the  severitj^  or  purity 
of  the  antique  style,  has  succeeded  in  preserving  the  aristo- 
cratic air  and  characteristic  British  ty^Q  of  his  subject,  is 
of  the  same  year.  Among  Thorvaldsen's  portrait-statues, 
modelled  from  life,  this  is,  in  our  opinion,  his  finest  work. 
Owing  to  various  causes,  the  marble,  which  was  finely  cut, 
remained  in  Thorvaldsen's  possession,  and  passed,  finally, 
into  his  museum.^ 

"  Our  Lord  giving  to  St.  Peter  the  Keys  of  Paradise," 
in  the  chapel  of  the  Pitti  Palace  at  Florence,  is  a  work  of 
the  same  period.  The  group  of  "  The  Three  Graces  "  was 
also  completed  at  this  time.  The  first  sketch  was  made 
in  1817;  and  the  master  intrusted  to  his  pupil,  Tenerani, 
the  task  of  separately  studying  each  figure.  This  prepara- 
tory work  done,  Thorvaldsen  took  the  statues  in  hand 
himself,  and  finished  them  entirely.  Subsequently  he  again 
took  up  the  same  subject,  but  treated  it  very  differently. 
Though  both  of  these  groups  have  received  the  appro- 

1  The  statue  was  ordered  by  Prince  Baryatinski :  its  price  was  fixed  at  3,000 
Roman  crowns,  a  third  of  which  was  paid  in  advance.  The  prince  died,  and  Thor- 
valdsen neglected  to  get  the  address  of  the  princess,  who  also  died  several  years 
afterward,  and  in  the  mean  while  had  entirely  forgotten  her  statue.  After  the  death 
of  his  mother,  her  son  reclaimed  it,  offering  to  pay  the  rest  of  the  stipulated  price; 
but  the  trustees  of  the  Museum  of  Copenhagen,  already  in  possession  of  the  treas- 
ures bequeathed  by  the  artist,  did  not  feel  it  their  duty  to  give  up  so  precious  a  work. 
The  sum  that  had  already  been  paid  was  given  back  to  the  young  prince,  for  whom 
Herr  Bissen  made  a  marble  copy  of  the  statue. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


6i 


bation  of  eminent  judges,  we  find  much  to  criticise  in 
them,  neither  really  satisfying  us.  A  little  Love,  which 
figures  in  both,  is  justly  much  admired ;  and  there  are  in 
existence,  it  is  said,  more  than  a  dozen  separate  copi(».s  of  it 
in  marble. 


THE  NEST  OF  LOVES. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


63 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Miss  Mackenzie  Seaforth. —  Illness  of  Thorvaldsen. —  Stay  at  Albano. 
—  Convalescence.  —  Excursion  to  Naples.  —  Liaison  with  a 
Viennese  Lady.  —  Departure  for  Denmark. 


The  last  two  years  of  Thorvald- 
sen's  life  in  Ital}^,  previous  to  his 
departure  for  Copenhagen,  were 
kept  in  a  state  of  agitation  b}^ 
affairs  of  the  heart.  Poor  Anna 
Maria  was  to  encounter  formida- 
ble rivals :  it  was  her  lot  to  con- 
tend both  with  an  Englishwoman, 
virtuous  and  well-born,  and  a  se- 
ductive Viennese. 

To  women  of  much  intelligence, 
there  is  a  powerful  charm  in  a 
man's  celebrity.  While  others  of 
lower  aims  are  won  by  the  at- 
tractions of  rank  or  fortune,  the}^, 
first  captivated  by  the  fame  of  the 
artist,  become  easily  enamoured  of 
the  man  himself.  This  was  the 
case  with  Thorvaldsen.  Absorbed 
in  his  work,  and  in  the  love  of 
art,  he  undoubtedly  would  have 
resisted  allurements  of  this  sort,  had  they  not  been  so  un- 
ceasing.   We  beg  pardon  for  thus  entering  into  details 


1.0 VE  VICTORIOUS. 


64 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


respecting  the  artist's  private  affairs,  but  our  disclosures 
help  to  reveal  his  character ;  and  surely  the  feelings  of  the 
man  can  never  be  indifferent  to  those  who  admire  the  works 
of  the  artist. 

Thorvaldsen  was  intimate  with  several  English  families, 
who  took  a  warm  interest  in  his  welfare.  Nothing,  they 
thought,  was  more  desirable  for  the  master,  whose  health  at 
that  time  required  great  care,  than  a  regular  and  peaceable 
life.  Letters  which  have  since  come  to  light  put  us  upon 
the  track  of  a  sort  of  conspiracy-  ^  long  and  discreetly  carried 
on.  In  a  letter  to  the  artist  from  Mr.  Arthur  Carignan,  that 
gentleman  paints  a  glowing  picture  of  the  domestic  felicity 
enjo3'ed  by  one  of  his  friends,  and  shortly  afterward  in  the 
postscript  of  another  letter  he  incidentally  introduces  the 
person  destined  to  play  the  principal  part  in  this  romantic 
drama.  "It  is  possible,"  he  writes,  "that  Miss  Mackenzie 
Seaforth,  accompanied  by  an  older  lady,  will  come  to  visit 
your  atelier.  In  this  case  I  recommend  her  particularly  to 
you,  and  all  the  more  because  the  young  lady  has  a  very 
happ3"  talent,  not  only  for  the  fine  arts  in  general,  but  espe- 
ciall}'  for  the  art  of  modelling." 

Miss  Frances  Mackenzie,  who  was  of  an  honorable  Scotch 
famil}-,  did  indeed  come  to  the  atelier  with  her  aunt  Mrs. 
Prob3\  She  was  not  remarkable  for  her  beautj^,  but  she 
pleased  by  more  solid  qualities.  She  had  a  fine  and  culti- 
vated mind,  was  especially  well-informed  with  regard  to  art, 
and  was  possessed  of  a  true  taste  and  real  talent  for  sculp- 
ture. She  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  artist,  feeling  for  him 
at  first  a  great  admiration,  and  soon  a  profound  S3-mpath3\ 

In  the  spring  of  1818,  Thoj-valdsen,  in  an  excursion  to 
Tivoli  with  some  gay  friends,  caught  a  violent  cold,  accom- 
panied by  fever,  from  viewing  the  falls  at  night.  He  was  so 
ill  that  he  was  obliged  to  remain  at  Tivoli,  and  keep  his  bed. 
Growing  worse,  he  was  taken  to  Albano,  as  the  air  of  Tivoli 

1  Thiele. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


65 


is  hurtful  to  invalids.  It  was  now  expected  that  he  would 
quickly  rally  ;  but  the  artist  had  not  the  requisite  patience  to 
remain  quiet,  and  insisted,  in  spite  of  all  advice,  upon  return- 
ing to  Rome  in  so  weak  a  condition  that  he  had  a  return  of  one 
of  his  old  attacks  of  depression.  His  friends  now  began  to 
be  seriously  alarmed,  and  insisted  upon  his  returning  to  the 
pure  and  bracing  air  of  Albano  ;  but  he  obstinately  refused 
to  go  there  alone,  awa}^  from  all  society. 

Miss  Mackenzie,  deeply  concerned  at  the  dangerous  condi- 
tion of  the  great  artist,  her  friend,  promised  him  that,  if  he 
went  to  Albano,  she  would  go  with  her  aunt  to  Genzano,  which 
is  in  the  neighborhood.  She  did  so ;  and  Thorvaldsen  fol- 
lowed the  two  larlies,  who  visited  him  frequently  and  even 
came  to  live  at  Albano,  that  they  might  be  at  hand  to  give 
him  the  care  which  his  state  of  health  required.  Such  affec- 
tionate kindness  and  delicate  attention,  together  with  the 
pure  air,  produced  a  happy  change  ;  and  Miss  Mackenzie  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  Thorvaldsen  gradually  restored  to  life 
and  health.  Her  joy  in  such  a  result,  and  his  tender  grati- 
tude, together  with  the  influences  of  the  spring  in  beautiful 
Itaty,  —  to  which  an  artist  especially  is  so  susceptible, — 
created  a  close  bond  between  them. 

It  frequently  happens  that  men  of  active  minds,  who  apply 
themselves  closely  to  work,  continue  young  much  longer 
than  those  whose  existence  has  been  frittered  away  in  trivial 
pursuits.  When  these  thinkers,  these  indefatigable  workers, 
are  turned  aside  from  their  usual  course  by  any  forjfcuftous 
circumstance,  they  surrender  their  hearts  with  the  naivete 
of  children,  and  resume  their  youth  just  at  the  point  where 
they  seem  to  have  left  it  behind  forever. 

Thorvaldsen  was  fort3^-eight  years  old.  Nothing  was  more 
natural  than  that  he  should  have  yielded  to  a  tender  passion, 
but  that  he  should  have  given  himself  up  to  it  so  unre- 
servedly is  indeed  strange.    He  behaved  like  a  youth  of 


66 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


twenty.  Instead  of  returning  to  Rome,  though  he  was 
entirely  convalescent,  he  planned  a  pleasure  trip  to  Naples, 
and  induced  his  friends  to  accompany  him.  Throughout  all 
the  journey  he  was  not  himself,  but  a^^^oung  lover.  In  their 
charming  excursions  to  Sorrento,  to  Capri,  to  Is,chia,  he  cared 
so  little  to  conceal  his  affection  that  Miss  Mackenzie,  seeing 
lier  British  reserve  in  peril,  was  sometimes  obliged  to  be 
cold  in  order  to  keep  him  within  proper  bounds.  The  artist 
would  then  appear  to  suffer  all  the  torments  of  love.  Rumors 
of  this  trip  and  the  approaching  marriage  of  Thorvaldsen 
were  not  slow  in  reaching  Rome,  and  he  even  received  let- 
ters of  congratulation. 

"  Miss  Mackenzie  is  a  charming  person,"  writes  Baron  von 
Schubart  from  Rome  to  Naples,  where  the  artist  still  was. 
"  She  is  well-born,  and  remarkably  well-educated  and  intel- 
lectual. All  the  English  hold  her  in  high  esteem ;  and  the 
popularity  yon  now  enjoy  with  them  must  increase,  if  you 
marry  their  coantry woman.  She  has  too  good  a  heart  not 
to  make  you  perfectly  happy,  and  everybod}^  will  applaud 
the  union  of  two  sljcu  excellent  persons.  I  am  even  per« 
suaded  that,  if  it  should  ue  necessary,  Miss  Mackenzie  would 
willingly  adopt  the  little  Jliiza  as  her  own  child." 

Thorvaldsen  did  not  reply.  He  returned  to  Rome  in  the 
month  of  October,  and  his  tirst  interview  with  Anna  Maria 
was  terrible.  The  eyes  of  the  jealous  Italian  flashed  fire, 
aer  anger  broke  out  in  curses,  and  she  finally  threatened  in 
aer  desperation  that,  if  he  dared  to  marry  the  Englishwoman, 
she  would  kill  him,  kill  her  child,  and  then  put  an  end  to  her 
own  wretched  life.  It  was  not  in  the  artist's  nature  to  hold 
out  against  such  dreadful  threats.  Although  he  did  nothing 
to  appease  the  anger  of  his  offended  mistress,  he  feared  to 
push  her  to  the  last  extremity.  He  temporized,  and  when 
she  saw  that  he  was  making  no  preparations  for  an  approach- 
ing marriage  her  fears  were  gradually  dispelled. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


67 


The  return  to  Rome  had  also  modified  the  situation.  The 
young  Scotch  girl  had  been  in  the  pleasant  habit  of  seeing 
Thorvaldsen  ever  at  her  side,  paying  her  assiduous  court. 
When  she  saw  him  returning  to  his  work,  and  busy  in  writ- 
ing up  a  voluminous  and  dela^'ed  correspondence,  she  felt 
neglected,  and  committed  the  imprudence  of  showing  her. 
self  a  little  piqued.  Thorvaldsen  perceived  it,  and  thought 
this  pretension  almost  ridiculous. 

It  is  ver}^  certain  that,  enfeebled  by  illness,  his  imagination 
excited  by  the  somewhat  romantic  circumstances  attending 
his  restoration  to  health,  the  artist  had  experienced  a  momen- 
tary' intoxication.  During  the  journey,  the  charm  of  a  new 
life  and  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  had  contributed  to  pro- 
long the  illusion.  Returning  to  Rome,  and  finding  again  in 
his  atelier  the  true  object  of  his  worship,  Art,  the  truth  broke 
upon  him ;  and  he  realized  that  his  feelings  were  those  of 
friendship  only.  From  that  time  the  roles  were  reversed.  He 
continued  his  visits,  and  was  simply  aff'ectionate :  the  Eng- 
lish girl  became  more  and  more  demonstrative,  and  it  soon 
became  evident  that  there  was  no  longer  an}'  love  except  in 
the  heart  of  Miss  Mackenzie. 

While  Thorvaldsen  hesitated  between  his  mistress,  whose 
jealousy  he  still  feared  to  exasperate,  and  her  whom  the 
world  obstinately  persisted  in  calling  his  betrothed,  he  began 
to  detect  between  Miss  Mackenzie  and  himself  an  incompati- 
bility whether  in  character  or  habits  of  life,  which  seemed  to 
him  to  be  an  obstacle  to  their  living  together  in  perfect  har- 
mony. The  young  girl  was  probably  not  quite  beautiful 
enough  to  excite  in  an  artist  a  veritable  passion.  Owing 
to  her  excellent  British  education,  she  had  moreover  very 
rigid  ideas  of  propriety  and  social  decorum,  to  which  Thor- 
valdsen, who,  though  well-bred,  was  very  unconventional, 
could  scarcely  accommodate  himself.  In  the  free  and  easy 
life  they  had  led  while  travelling,  this  incompatibility  was 


68 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


scarcel3'  noticed ;  but  in  societ}-  at  Rome  it  was  felt  in  its 
full  extent. 

Time  wore  on,  bringing  no  relief  from  this  embarrassing 
situation.  To  put  an  end  to  it,  a  crisis  was  needed  ;  and  it 
was  another  woman  who  occasioned  it.  The  artist's  hour 
of  fate  was  at  hand.  It  was  on  the  stroke  of  midnight,  so  it 
is  related,  on  the  last  night  of  the  old  _year  (1818),  that  his 
heart  was  suddenly  taken  captive.  When  the  worthy  Herr 
Thiele  records  this  event,  upon  which  he  does  not  love  to 
dwell,  he  veils  his  face,  and  without  hesitation  pronounces  a 
censure  that  may  seem,  perhaps,  a  little  severe.  "Hence- 
forth," he  says,  "  our  artist  appears  willing  to  set  at  delSance 
all  duty  and  the  opinion  of  the  world :  he  takes  the  wreath 
with  which  a  host  of  admirers  had  encircled  his  brows,  and 
sets  it  upon  the  abundant  tresses  of  his  adored  goddess,  — 
the  sight  of  whose  dazzling  beauty  transports  him  with  joy, 
—  whilst  his  Good  Genius  turns  awa}^  his  face  and  weeps." 

There  had  just  arrived  in  Rome,  in  company  with  a  Ger- 
man family,  a  lad}^  who  also  bore  the  name  of  Frances,  —  a 
woman  in  all  the  warm  splendor  of  thirt3^-flve,  ardent  and 
impassioned,  whom  her  contemporaries  describe  as  "  a  radiant 
setting  sun,  flushing  with  its  golden  raj^s  a  beautiful  autumn 
evening."  Is  not  that  the  artist's  favorite  hour  ?  And  shall 
we  be  as  severe  as  Herr  Thiele  ? 

The  sculptor  and  the  lady  became  speedilj^  enamoured. 
How  far  their  liaison  was  close  and  complete,  it  is  not  for  us 
to  decide.  Frequent  visits,  a  very  brisk  correspondence,  — 
that  is  all  we  know. 

"  Write  in  a  letter  hum  this  is  the  sure  way  to  have  it  pre- 
served," says  somewhere  the  author  of  "  Les  Causeries  d'un 
Curieux"  ;  and  this  is  precisely  what  happened  to  the  tender 
Frances. 

"  Burn  my  letters,"  she  does  not  fail  to  say  again  and 
again,  "  for  no  one  must  ever  know  that  I  write  to  you.  The 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


69 


world  judges  in  its  own  wa}'.  M}^  heart  declares  rae  inno- 
cent, and  3^ours  must  recognize  me  as  such." 

Now  these  notes  are  preserved  with  Thorvaldsen's  other 
papers  in  one  of  the  cabinets  of  the  Museum.  It  is  true  that 
the  gentlemen  who  are  their  custodians  consider  them  as 
a  sacred  deposit,  and  never  permit  any  indiscreet  aye  to 
rest  upon  them.  However  ardent  the  expressions  in  these 
letters,  they  offer  no  evidence  of  a  nature  to  compromise 
their  author,  further  than  they  prove  the  existence  of  one  of 
those  passionate  attachments  which  find  vent  in  words  that 
evidently  come  from  the  heart,  in  soul-felt  raptures,  such  as 
it  would  be  vain  to  look  for  in  a  mere  commonplace  liaison. 
"With  what  joy  I  live  over  again  in  memory  those  delicious 
hours,  when  my  heart  was  wholly  my  dear  Alberto's,  and 
his  equally  mine  "  Again  :  "  Our  love  is  all  my  happiness  ; 
I  crave  none  other  upon  earth."  .  .  .  "  My  last  thought,  the 
last  act  of  m}^  life,  will  be  a  prayer  for  you."  And  when 
they  must  part :  "  Could  3'ou  quit  me  like  an  indifferent 
acquaintance  ?    That  would  be  impossible  ! " 

Thorvaldsen  was  equally  enamoured,  and  according  to 
Herr  Thiele  "  was  for  some  time  only  the  satellite  of  this 
radiant  star  of  love." 

Letters  in  the  mean  while  arrived  for  him  from  Scotland, 
where  they  were  expecting  soon  to  see  the  sculptor  and  his 
betrothed.  Poor  Miss  Mackenzie,  how  she  was  then  neg- 
lected !  The  artist  gave  bad  reasons  for  his  rare  and  irregu- 
lar visits.  These  excuses  were  at  first  accepted.  It  is  so 
hard  to  renounce  a  dream  of  happiness,  it  is  so  eas}'  to  de- 
ceive ourselves  and  cling  to  a  dear  illusion. 

Unfortunately  Thorvaldsen  did  not  take  much  pains  to 
conceal  his  behavior.  The  object  of  his  passion  lived  directly 
opposite  Miss  Mackenzie ;  and  the  poor,  forsaken  girl  could 
see  him  going  day  after  day  to  visit  her  rival,  could  count 
the  hours  of  their  tete-d-tete,  and  compare  them  with  those  she 
passed  neglected  and  alone  ! 


70 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


She  bore  her  grief  in  silence ;  she  drank  the  cup  presented 
to  her  without  complaint,  and  was  an  object  of  compassion 
even  to  those  who  did  not  wish  to  see  her  the  wife  of  the 
artist.  Finally  an  English  lad}'  of  rank,  the  common  friend 
of  both,  thought  it  her  dut}"  to  interfere,  and  to  demand  from 
Thorvaldsen  a  formal  declaration  of  his  intentions.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  explanation.  Miss  Mackenzie  left  Rome, 
May  5, 1819.  She  wrote  to  the  sculptor  from  Florence  some 
yary  dignified  and  truly  touching  letters,  wherein  she  both 
reproaches  and  pardons  him  for  his  inconstanc}'  in  a  trul}^ 
Christian  spirit.  "  If  you  enjoy  all  the  blessings  that  I 
crave  for  3'ou,  you  will  be  happier  than  I  could  have  made 
you,  even  in  the  happiest  days  of  our  union.  Adieu." 

Directl}^  upon  writing  these  lines,  she  repaired  to  Switzer- 
land, unwilling  to  appear  in  England,  where  her  marriage 
had  been  announced  in  the  papers. 

A  lew  years  afterward  (1826),  Thorvaldsen  was  at  a 
party,  turning  over  the  leaves  of  an  album  and  talking 
gayl}^,  when  two  ladies  entered  the  same  drawing-room. 
One  of  the  two  was  Miss  Mackenzie.  The  artist  became 
pale  and  silent,  and  suddenly  disappeared.  In  1837,  how- 
ever, when  Miss  Mackenzie  again  returned  to  Rome,  and 
3^ears  had  softened  the  bitterness  of  this  memor}^,  the}-  were 
reconciled  through  the  kind  offices  of  friends,  though  in 
future  their  relations  were  onl}^  those  of  friendship.  Miss 
Mackenzie  died  in  Rome,  Feb.  24,  1840. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  only  just  to  add  that  Thorvaldsen  was 
greatl}'  distressed  b}'  the  wrong  he  had  done  to  the  poor 
girl,  whose  letters  deeply  touched  him.  These  regrets 
brought  his  liaison  with  the  beautiful  Viennese  to  a  quicker 
termination,  for  in  order  to  free  himself  from  the  difficulties 
of  a  false  position  he  hastened  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  a 
voyage  to  Denmark.    He  left  Rome,  July  14,  1819. 

From  this  time  Thorvaldsen  seems  to  have  been  free  from 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


71 


all  entaDglements.  Anna  Maria  herself  no  longer  appears 
in  his  life ;  and,  though  we  have  no  precise  information  on 
this  point,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  he  separated  from 
her  before  leaving  Rome.  He  secured  to  her,  however,  a 
maintenance,  and  did  not  lose  sight  of  his  child. 


THE  AGES  OF  LOVE. 


LIFE  OF  TIIOBVALDSEN. 


73 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  Lion  of  Lucerne.  — Keception  by  the  Academy  of  Copenhagen. 
—  The  True  Kirke,  or  "  Church  of  Our  Lady."—"  Journey  through 
Germany."  —  The  Emperor  Alexander.  —  Monuments  of  Coper- 
nicus, Prince  Poniatowski,  Prince  Potocki.  —  Return  to  Rome. 


V 


^ir  J  OR  "LLM^'^F  p  up  AC  _        1  i  ■  ^ 


THE  LION  OF  LUCERNE. 


Thorvaldsen  had 
been  twenty-three 
years  absent  from 
his  country,  when 
his  engagements 
finall}^  permitted 
him  to  retarn.  On 
leaving  Rome,  he 
went  first  to  Flor- 
ence, then  to  Par- 
ma, and  to  Milan, 
where  he  remained 
only  a  short  time. 
He  then  crossed 
by  the  Simplon  to 
Lucerne,  whith- 
er he  was  called 
to  make  arrange- 
ments for  the 
monument  which 
Switzerland 
wished  to  raise  to 
the  memory  of  her 


74 


LIFE  OF  TIIOHVALBSEN. 


children  who  died  in  defence  of  the  Tuileries,  Aug.  10, 
1792. 

The  events  of  that  fatal  day  which  hastened  the  fall  of  the 
monarchy  are  well  known.  While  Louis  XVI,  to  "  spare 
tlie  nation  a  great  crime,"  allowed  himself  to  be  dragged  to 
the  Assembly  which  a  few  hours  later  was  to  declare  the 
abolition  of  royalty,  the  mob  rushed  to  attack  the  Tuileries, 
which  were  guarded  only  by  a  handful  of  faithful  defenders^ 
consisting  of  noblemen,  national  and  Swiss  guards.  These 
repulsed  the  assailants,  and  might  perhaps  have  entirel}^  put 
down  the  riot  for  that  da}^,  had  not  an  order  arrived  from  the 
king,  commanding  them  not  to  fire  upon  the  people,  and  to 
retire.  A  few,  however,  of  the  unfortunate  Swiss  remained 
in  the  palace,  to  whom  it  had  not  been  possible  to  make 
known  the  royal  will.  Exposed  to  all  the  fuxy  of  the  popu- 
lace, they  were  massacred  without  mercy,  heroic  but  unavail- 
ing victims  of  their  devotion  to  a  lost  cause. 

An  officer  of  this  loyal  Swiss  guard,  who  had  escaped  the 
rage  of  the  mob.  General  Pfyffer  von  Altishofen,  had  retu-ed 
to  Lucerne.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  erecting  in  his  garden 
a  monument  to  the  memory  of  his  unfortunate  comrades-in- 
arms. All  Switzerland  responded  to  the  call,  and  numerous 
subscribers  hastened  to  put  down  their  names.  Several 
sovereign  princes  also  desired  to  contribute ;  and  through 
Herr  Vincenz  Riittiman,  the  Swiss  ambassador  at  Rome. 
Thorvaldsen  was  solicited  to  execute  the  monument 

Though  he  was  far  from  well  at  this  time  (1818),  and 
little  disposed  to  undertake  any  new  works,  he  was  induced 
to  accept  the  commission,  and  modelled  a  sketch,  represent- 
ing a  lion  mortall}'  wounded  lying  with  his  head  resting  upop 
the  royal  escutcheon  of  France,  upon  which  he  still  main- 
tains his  hold.  The  conception  is  in  keeping  with  the 
loftiness  of  the  subject ;  while  the  grand  simplicit}^  of  the 
composition  is  worthy  of  the  chivalric  devotion  it  was  de- 
signed to  perpetuate. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


75 


Bienaime,  one  of  Thorvaldsen's  pupils,  was  employed  to 
begin  the  work  after  the  sketch  of  the  master,  and  when  this 
was  done  Thorvaldsen  finished  it  himself.  Never  having 
seen  a  live  lion,  he  went  to  antique  statues  for  inspiration. 
The  plaster  was  sent  to  Lucerne  in  the  beginning  of  1819. 
The  monument  was  intended  to  be  in  bronze,  but  hy  Thor- 
valdsen's advice  that  idea  was  abandoned.  An  immense 
niche,  thirt3^-two  feet  nine  inches  in  height,  was  hollowed  out 
of  the  solid  rock,  and  there  the  sculptor  Lucas  Aliorn,  copy- 
ing the  plaster  model,  carved  out  of  the  native  granite  the 
colossal  lion.  He  began  the  work  in  March,  1820,  and  fin- 
ished it  in  August,  1821, 

Upon  quitting  Lucerne,  Thorvaldsen  continued  his  route 
through  Schaffhausen,  Stuttgart  (where  he  visited  the 
sculptor  Dannecker,  then  engaged  on  a  colossal  statue  of 
Christ),  Heidelberg,  Frankfort,  Coblentz,  Cologne,  Munster, 
Hambourg,  Sleswig,  and  arrived  in  Copenhagen  the  3d  of 
October. 

He  proceeded  directly  to  the  Charlottenborg  Palace  (the 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts),  where  apartments  had  long  been 
prepared  for  him.  The  first  person  he  saw  there  was  the  old 
janitor,  who  had  served  as  a  model  for  the  pupils  when 
Thorvaldsen  was  one  of  the  students.  This  meeting,  bring- 
ing back  as  it  did  all  the  memories  of  his  youth,  filled  him 
with  deep  emotion.  He  threw  himself  upon  the  neck  of  the 
old  man,  and  embraced  him  affectionatel3^ 

The  news  of  Thorvaldsen's  arrival  soon  spread  throughout 
the  city.  The  friends  of  his  childhood,  and  others  who  had 
been  in  Italy  and  had  seen  him  in  Rome,  hastened  to  greet 
him.  He  gave  them  all  a  cordial  welcome.  Then  followed 
a  throng  of  people  who  knew  him  only  b}^  reputation.  The 
artist,  who  still  retained  his  simple  manners,  was  a  little 
bewildered  by  such  an  ovation.  People  crowded  around 
him,  he  said,  as  though  he  were  the  great  Kraken  of  the 


76 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


North,  1  that  marine  monster  celebrated  in  Scandinavian 
legends.^ 

Among  the  few  friends  of  his  boyhood  was  a  counsellor  of 
justice,  Herr  Haste,^  who  had  accompanied  him  twenty-three 
years  before  on  board  the  "Thetis"  This  magistrate  thus 
relates  his  interview  with  the  sculptor  :  — 

*'  When  we  were  alone  at  last,  —  for  he  had  had  a  court  about  liira, 
like  a  foreign  prince  of  illustrious  lineage,  —  he  went  to  his  desk  to 
get  his  album,  and  showed  me  some  verses  I  had  written  in  it  as  a 
souvenir  twenty  four  or  five  years  before.  He  pressed  my  hand 
silently,  and  returned  to  his  desk  from  which  he  took  a  medal.  '  See 
here,  my  dear  friend,'  said  he,  '  some  friends  in  Rome  who  hold  me 
in  esteem  have  had  this  medal  struck  off  in  my  honor.  I  have 
brought  four  with  me,  and  I  am  going  to  give  you  one  of  them.  It 
is  only  in  bronze  :  I  have  a  gold  one,  but  I  shall  not  give  that  to  you. 
The  man  must  not  be  forgotten  in  the  metal.' " 

Whilst  all  the  journals  vied  with  one  another  in  giving 
Thorvaldsen  a  cordial  welcome,  the  Academ}'  of  Copenhagen 
organized  a  grand  reception,  which  took  place  on  the  15th 
of  October,  in  the  great  hall  of  the  arquebusiers,  and  was 
attended  by  the  whole  city.  The  students  went  to  meet  the 
sculptor  to  the  sound  of  drums* and  trumpets,  and  lined  the 
street  through  which  he  passed.  Cannon  were  fired,  a  can- 
tata composed  for  the  occasion  was  sung  by  the  choral  soci- 
ety, and  the  poet  Oehlenschlaeger  made  a  formal  address. 
"If  our  ancestors,"  he  remarked,  "were  once  guilty  of 
throwing  down  in  Rome  the  old  masterpieces  of  art,  the}^  are 
to-da}',  thanks  to  the  genius  of  a  son  of  the  North,  raised  up 
again  in  all  tlieir  pristine  beaut}'." 

The  reception  ended  with  a  grand  banquet,  Thorvaldsen 

1  Nagler. 

2  The  Norwegian  sailors  used  often  to  relate  stories  about  this  extraordinary 
animal,  which  Bishop  Pontoppidan  has  described  in  his  Natural  History  of  Norway. 
It  ifj  probable  that  it  resembled  in  more  than  one  respect  the  sea-serpent  famoua  in 
our  day. 

3  See  note  1,  page  4. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


77 


occiipjing  the  place  of  honor  between  Oehlenschlaoger  and 
Count  von  Schimiuelmann.  The  health  of  the  students  was 
proposed  by-  the  sculptor,  a  toast  which  was  received  with 
loud  applause  by  all  the  assembl}- ;  but  the  enthusiasm 
became  tremendous  when  Count  von  Schimmelmann  rose 
and  gave,  "Here's  to  the  fair  daughters  of  Denmark,  or,  in 
other  words,  here 's  to  the  Graces  of  our  Thorvaldsen."  i 

Finally  the  artist  was  received  at  court,  and  met  with  the 
most  flattering  reception  from  the  king  and  all  the  ro3'al 
family.  To  enable  him  to  sit  at  the  table  of  the  sovereign 
without  violating  the  strict  etiquette  of  the  period,  the 
dignity  of  Counsellor  of  State  was  conferred  upon  him. 

All  these  attentions  were  a  little  fatiguing  to  Thorvaldsen. 
He  could  not  at  first  escape  them  even  retreating  into 
his  atelier  ;  for  to  see  the  artist  at  work  became  the  fashion 
of  the  day,  and  visit  followed  visit  without  cessation.  A 
great  lad}^,  seeing  him  one  da}^  take  some  clay  into  his  hands 
and  begin  to  model,  said  to  him,  "  I  suppose,  Herr  Professor, 
you  do  not  do  such  work  3^ourself  when  3'ou  are  in  E-ome  ! " 
"  I  assure  3'ou,  madam,"  the  artist  replied  good-naturedly, 
"  that  this  is  the  most  essential  thing." 

Advantage  was  taken,  moreover,  of  Thorvaldsen's  presence 
in  Copenhagen,  to  consult  him  upon  all  questions  relating  to 
art :  he  was  called  upon  to  suggest  the  most  suitable  means 
for  developing  a  taste  for  it  in  the  countrj",  and  to  make 
reports. 2 

Works  for  public  buildings  also  occupied  his  attention. 
Not  onl}'  the  royal  palace  and  the  city  hall  were  to  be 
enriched  with  sculpture,  but  likewise  the  palace  chapel  and 
the  Metropolitan  Church  of  Our  Lad}^,  —  the  Frue  Kirke. 

This  church  had  just  been  rebuilt,  and  Thorvaldsen  was 
allowed  free  scope  to  follow  the  bent  of  his  own  fancy  in  the 

1  Thiele. 

2  He  was  also  commissioned  to  make  busts  of  Frederick  VI,  his  queen,  the  two 
princesses  royal,  and  the  young  Prince  Frederick  Charles  Christian. 


78 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


planning  of  its  entire  embellishment.  And  it  was  now  that 
he  first  conceived  the  plan  of  that  series  of  sculptural  em- 
bellishments which  was  finally  to  embrace  every  part  of  the 
edifice  inside  and  out,  and  in  which  are  comprised  almost 
all  his  works  on  religious  subjects.  For  the  pediment, 
"  The  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  "  ;  for  the  doorwa}^, 
"Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem";  for  the  inside  of  the 
church,  the  colossal  "Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles"; 
behind  the  altar,  the  grand  frieze  of  "  Christ  on  the  road  to 
Calvary"  ;  and  for  the  side  walls,  "  The  Baptism  of  Christ" 
and  "  The  Lord's  Supper." 

Though  he  received  only  the  order  for  "  The  Preacliing  of 
St.  John"  and  the  "Christ  and  Twelve  Apostles,"  at  this 
time,  his  brief  stay  in  Denmark  was  nevertheless  profitable 
to  himself  as  well  as  to  his  countr3\  He  left  Copenhagen 
Aug.  12,  1820,^  and  travelling  by  easy  stages  returned  to 
Italy  b}^  way  of  German3\  At  Dresden  and  Berlin  he  was 
warmly  welcomed  by  his  friends.  At  Warsaw,  whither  he 
was  called  negotiations  long  pending  for  important  works, 
he  arrived  Sept.  19.  Here  he  was  presented  to  the  Emperor 
Alexander. 

The  course  pursued  b}'  the  Sovereign  of  all  the  Russias  at 
the  time  of  the  invasion  of  France  by  the  allied  troops,  had 
made  him  ver}^  popular  in  Europe,  nor  was  it  forgotten  in 
France  that  he  had  strenuously  opposed  Blucher's  vindictive 
proposals  to  dismember  the  countr3\ 

Hearing  that  the  sculptor  wished  to  make  his  bust,  he 
wiliingi}^  consented,  though  he  had  refused  a  similar  request 
of  Canova,  —  perhaps  because  that  sculptor's  name  had  been 
so  closely  associated  with  Napoleon's  famil3\  Thorvaldsen, 
on  the  contrary,  thougli  a  Dane,  was  the  adopted  sculptor 
of  Germany.  The  emperor  treated  him  with  great  kindness  : 
he  gave  him  several  sittings,  and  when  he  found  that  the 


1  The  governnicnt  gave  him  2,300  Danish  crowns  —  about  $1,400  —  to  pay  his 
expcntscs. 


Lli'E  OF  TBOBVALDSEN. 


79 


military  coat  he  wore  was  a  hinclraiice  to  the  artist  he  not 
only  imiuediateiy  bared  his  throat,  but  also  his  chest.  It  was, 
however,  a  point  of  etiquette  that  the  sculptor  should  remain 
at  a  respeciful  distance  from  the  Sovereign  of  all  the  Russias. 
CJpon  Tnorvaldsen  s  falling  ill,  the  emperor  dii'ectly  sent  his 
own  physician  to  him ;  and  when  the  artist  came  to  take 
leave  of  him,  the  monarch,  who  had  previously  X->fesented  him 
with  a  ring  set  in  diamonds,  threw  aside  all  stifliie.^.s  of  eti- 
quette, and  embraced  him  cordiall3\ 

Before  quitting  W  arsaw,  Thorvaldsen  had  a  lew  Cv/p'es  of 
the  czar's  bust  hastily  cast  in  plaster,  and  presented  them 
to  several  grand  personages  ;  and  after  he  returned  to  Kome 
he  received  so  many  orders  that  he  kept  for  years  iskiUod 
workmen  continually  employed  in  reproducing  the  bust  in 
marble. 

While  Thorvaldsen  was  at  Warsaw,  the  President  of  the 
Royal  Society  of  the  Friends  of  Science  and  Belles-Lettreb 
of  that  city  made  an  agreement  with  him  for  a  monument  in 
honor  of  Copernicus,^  to  be  placed  in  the  square  of  the  Uni- 
versity. The  statue  was  finished  three  ^^ears  later ;  but 
various  circumstances  prevented  its  being  sent  home,  and  the 
inauguration  did  not  take  place  until  May  11,  1830. 

But  the  especial  object  of  Thorvaldsen's  journey  to  iroland 
was  the  equestrian  statue  of  Prince  Poniatowski.  The  /'.rsl 
proposition  in  regard  to  it  was  made  in  a  letter  written  in 
1817,  b}'  Count  Mokronowski,  in  the  name  of  the  committ.^e 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  monument  to  the  Poli&  L 
hero.    Thorvaldsen  now  arranged  the  matter  in  person  wit  a 

1  The  Poles  have  always  shown  themselves  very  proud  of  the  works  of  Coper- 
nicus, who  in  1504  was  made  member  of  the  Academy  of  Cracow,  a  very  higb 
distinction,  and  much  sought  after  at  that  period.  In  1801,  the  Society  of  the  Friend& 
of  Science  at  Warsaw  proposed  a  prize  for  the  best  paper  on  the  discoveries  of  this 
learned  man.  The  statue  to  which  we  refer  was  erected  at  the  cost  of  the  Polish  na- 
tion by  means  of  a  subscription;  40.000  florins,  however,  were  still  wanting  to  com- 
plete the  required  sum,  and  a  learned  minister  of  state,  Abb6  Staszic,  paid  tlie  deficit 
out  of  his  private  purse. 


So 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


the  committee.  But  when  he  returned  to  Rome  the  work 
was  so  long  neglected,  that  the  delay  led  to  a  correspondence 
in  which  the  Poles  expressed  their  impatience,  yqvj  urgently 
at  first,  and  finally  in  very  angry  terms. ^ 

The  first  idea  of  the  sculptor  was  to  represent  the  hero  in 
the  national  dress,  urging  his  horse  to  leap  into  the  river 
where  he  met  his  death,  while  the  animal  hesitates  and 
struggles  with  his  rider.  Water  was  to  flow  from  a  fountain 
in  front  of  the  pedestal.  The  first  model,  which  was  approved 
of  by  the  committee,  carried  out  this  idea  ;  but  whether  they 
changed  their  minds,  or  whether  the  family  objected  to  the 
immediate  cause  of  the  hero's  death  being  so  plainl}^  recalled, 
this  model  was  thrown  aside,  and  a  thoroughly  Roman  statue 
substituted,  representing  the  prince  in  antique  costume.  The 
work  as  it  was  finished  has  some  resemblance  to  the  eques- 
trian statue  of  Marcus  Aurelius  on  the  Capitoline  Hill.  Fi- 
nally completed  in  1827,  it  was  sent  by  way  of  Dantzic  in 
1828,  and  reached  Warsaw  in  1829.  Owing  to  the  time 
required  to  cast  it  in  bronze,  it  was  not  ready  to  be  put  in  its 
place  before  the  11th  of  May,  1830. 

Then  followed  political  complications  ;  and  the  Russian 
government,  not  caring  to  allow  the  inauguration  of  a  statue 
calculated  to  excite  national  sentiment  in  Poland,  it  was 
kept  out  of  sight.  What  has  become  of  it?  It  is  difficult 
to  say  positivel3\  Some  assert  that  it  was  melted  down  and 
the  bronze  used  for  cannon ;  others,  that  it  was  only  taken 
apart  and  placed  in  the  arsenal  of  Modlin,  where  it  was 

1  They  wrote  to  him  in  1825  :  "  In  choosing  a  sculptor  to  perpetuate  the  glory  of 
Copernicus  and  Poniatowski,  the  whole  nation  has  unanimously  selected  you,  as  the 
artist  the  most  famous  and  most  worthy  of  rescuing  from  oblivion  some  memories  at 
least  of  our  past  glory.  Can  so  noble  and  lofty  a  heart  be  insensible  to  such  a  choice  ? 
It  often  happens  that  artists  are  forced  to  celebrate  pride  without  merit ;  but  you,  sir, 
in  working  for  Poland,  have  undertaken  a  more  honorable  task,  that  of  immortaliz- 
ing the  sublimest  virtues,  creative  genius,  valor,  and  patriotic  devotion.  Let  these 
motives  speak  to  your  heart,  warm  your  genius,  quicken  your  creative  chisel.  Send 
us  as  soon  as  possible  your  masterpieces,  that  I'oland.  m  contemplating  her  heroes 
may  bless  the  artist  who  has  restored  them  to  life." 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


8£ 


still  to  be  found  in  1842.  According  to  a  journal,  the 
"  Kunstblatt,"  ^  the  Russian  government  thought  of  trans- 
porting it  to  Russia,  and  the  family  protesting  against  this 
attempt  it  was  melted  down.  But  we  are  more  inclined  to 
credit  the  version  of  the  "  Athenaeum."  ^  According  to  the 
English  journal,  the  pieces  of  this  statue  were  given  to 
the  Prince  of  Warsaw,^  who,  in  putting  them  together, 
changed  Poniatowski  into  a  Saint  George.  Under  this  title 
the  statue  was  removed  to  his  countr3'-seat  in  Mohilew.  If 
this  be  so,  it  was  the  fate  of  the  unfortunate  prince  to  be 
deprived  of  his  national  garb  that  he  might  enjoy  an  apotheo- 
sis as  a  Roman  general,  only  to  be  finally  transformed  into 
a  canonized  saint. 

While  at  "Warsaw,  Thorvaldsen  decided  to  compl}'  with 
the  wishes  of  the  Princess  Potocka.  This  lady  was  anxious 
that  the  artist  should  design  a  mausoleum  in  memor}-  of  her 
husband,  Prince  Potocki,  killed  at  the  battle  of  Leipsic.  She 
had  written  to  him  upon  the  subject  as  far  back  as  1816.  It 
was  the  wish  of  the  princess  that  the  monument  should  be 
placed  in  one  of  the  chapels  of  the  cathedral  of  Cracow. 
It  was  to  consist  of  a  group  of  two  figures,  one  personif^'ing 
the  hero  prematurely  cut  down  at  twenty-two,  the  other 
Poland,  tinder  the  form  of  a  beautiful  woman,  stately  and 
Juno-like. 

Thorvaldsen  repaired  to  Cracow,  in  October,  1820,  and 
persuaded  the  princess  to  consent  to  a  change  of  plan  ;  and 
subsequently  merely'  represented  the  young  prince  leaning 
on  his  sword.  This  figure  recalls  to  mind  that  of  the  Apollo 
Belvedere,  to  which  the  artist  had  been  requested  to  go  for 
inspiration. 

From  Cracow,  Thorvaldsen  proceeded  to  Troppau,  where 

1  No.  40,  p.  160,  1842.  2  No.  1162,  p.  13?,  1850. 

3  The Athenaeum  "  must  mean  Greneral  Paskewitsch,  who,  having  forced  the 
capital  of  Poland  to  capitulate,  Sept.  8, 1831,  and  placed  the  country  again  under  the 
Russian  yoke,  was  made  Prince  of  Warsaw  by  Alexander. 


82 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


the  Congress  was  assembled.  He  was  honorably  received 
b}-  these  illustrious  personages,  especiall}^  by  the  Emperor  of 
Austria,  to  whom  he  had  been  recommended  by  the  czar. 
The  Emperor  Francis  gave  him  a  commission  for  a  monu- 
ment in  memory  of  Prince  of  Schwarzenberg,  for  which  the 
artist  made  a  sketch  ;  but  for  some  cause,  unknown  to  us,  the 
order  was  not  fulfilled. 

Thorvaldsen  was  at  Vienna,  where  he  had  passed  three 
pleasant  weeks,  when  he  heard,  while  at  the  house  of  the 
Prince  Esterhazy,  of  a  serious  accident  to  his  Roman  ateliers 
The  ntjws  was  reported  in  the  Diario  di  Roma."  A  letter 
from  tus  pupil  Freund,. received  nearly  at  the  same  time,  gave 
him  the  particulars.  The  floor  of  one  of  the  ateliers  in  the 
Palace  Barberini  had  given  wa}^,  and  two  marble  statues, 
"The  \oung  Shepherd"  and  "Love,"  had  fallen  with  it. 
The  head  of  the  shepherd,  the  arm  which  held  the  crook, 
f^ndi  the  bars  of  the  dog,  were  broken  off.  "  Love"  had  lost 
its  wings  find  right  leg.  The  plaster  of  "  Ganymede  with 
the  Eagle  '  was  broken  in  pieces.  Thanks  to  the  efforts  of 
Tenerani  ctud  Freund,  the  other  statues  were  rescued  from 
the  ruins  almost  uninjured.  B}^  a  very  lucky  chance,  the 
statue  of  "  Adonis,"  placed  that  very  morning  near  the  wall, 
escaped  unhurt. 

Thorvaldsen  had  intended  to  go  to  Munich  ;  but  this  bad 
Pi  ws  decided  him  to  return  immediately  to  Rome,  where  he 
ar  rived  Dec.  16,  1820. 


# 


VULCAN  FOKGING  ARROWS  FOR  CUPID. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


85 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Prince  Royal  of  Denmark.  —  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria.  —  *'  Christ 
and  the  Apostles."  — The  "  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist." 
—  Consalvi.  —  Pius  VII.  —  Cabals  against  Thorvaldsen.  —  Leo 
XII.  —  Thorvaldsen  President  of  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke. 

A  FEW  days  after  Thorvaldsen' s  return 
to  Rome,  a  grand  banquet  was  given  in 
his  honor  at  the  Trattoria  Fiano,  Dec. 
28,  1820.  More  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  artists  were  present.  The  ga3'ety 
was  at  its  height,  when  Christian,  prince 
royal  of  Denmark,  presented  himself  and 
asked  permission  to  join  the  party.  He 
took  a  seat  next  to  the  sculptor,  and  his 
presence  far  from  being  a  restraint  upon 
the  assembl}'  only  increased  the  hilarit}" ; 
while  his  toast  to  cisalpine  and  trans- 
alpine art  excited  to  the  highest  point 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  guests,  who  were 
chiefl3'  Germans. 

Subsequently  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Denmark  visited  the  ateliers  of  the 
artist,  who  constituted  himself  their 
cicerone,  and  introduced  them  to  the 
antiquities  of  Rome.  He  also  modelled 
their  busts. 

For  a  long  time  Thorvaldsen  had  been  in  constant  cor- 
respondence with  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria  ;  but  from  the  year 


86 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


1821.  when  the  prince  and  the  artist  met  in  Rome,  relations 
of  the  strictest  intimacy,  notwithstanding  the  difference  of 
rank,  were  established  between  them.  The  Prince  of  Bavaria 
who,  in  1825,  succeeded  to  the  throne,  is  one  of  the  most 
original  and  interesting  characters  of  this  centur}'.  When 
still  3^oung,  he  was  enamoured,  like  all  Europe  at  that  time, 
with  military  glory,  and  took  part  in  the  campaign  of  1809 
against  Austria.  But  the  pupil  of  the  universities  of  Land- 
shut  and  Gottingen  soon  abandoned  the  career  of  arms  to 
give  himself  wholly  to  an  irresistible  love  of  the  arts.  Here- 
after he  kept  aloof  from  public  affairs,  and  devoted  himself 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  his  nature  to  pursuits  no  less 
worthy  of  a  fine  intellect.  To  enrich  Bavaria  with  splendid 
museums,  and  to  make  Munich  one  of  the  great  artistic  cities 
of  the  world,  was  the  one  earnest  desire  of  his  heart.  Com- 
pared with  the  magnitude  of  his  projects,  his  means,  unfor- 
tunatel}',  were  limited.  He  was  not,  however,  discouraged 
by  this  difficulty.  Imposing  upon  himself  a  strict  econom}^, 
with  the  money  thus  saved  he  bought  up  the  choicest  works 
he  could  find  either  in  painting  or  sculpture.  The  Greek  and 
Roman  antiquities  which  zealous  explorers  were  then  actively 
engaged  in  excavating  from  the  soil  of  Greece  and  Italy  were 
the  special  objects  of  his  passion,  and  his  agents  did  their 
best  to  secure  them  for  him. 

Thus  little  b}^  little  was  formed  that  magnificent  museum 
of  sculpture  called  the  Glyptothek.  When  he  became  king, 
he  enriched  his  capital  with  fine  monuments,  mostly  in  the 
Greek  style.  We  also  owe  to  him  a  picture  gallery,  the  new 
Pinacothek,  at  Munich ;  also  the  Walhalla,  a  sort  of  temple 
and  museum,  at  Ratisbon.  The  prince,  moreover,  cultivated 
the  Muses  :  his  writings  in  prose  and  verse  indicate,  in  a  very 
marked  degree,  the  peculiarities  of  his  character.^ 

1  Though  very  popular  at  first,  the  King  of  Bavaria  lost  favor  with  the  nation  on 
account  of  the  undue  influence  which  from  1830  he  allowed  the  clergy  to  exert.  Ilis 
liaison  with  the  beautiful  Lola  Montes  is  well  known.   Though  this  favorite  of  the 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


87 


In  1821,  Thorvaldsen  modelled  the  bust  of  the  prince,  who 
promised  him  his  portrait  in  exchange.  On  the  eve  of  his 
royal  friend's  departnre,  the  scnlptor  gave  a  grand  banquet 
in  his  honor  at  the  Signora  Buti's,  to  v^diich  all  the  artists  in 
Rome  were  invited.  How  much  the  prince  enjo3'ed  the  fete 
is  seen  b}^  the  letter  he  wrote  immediatel}'  after  his  return  to 
Munich. 

NYxMphenbourg,  near  Munich,  May  15,  1821. 
Herr  Counsellor  of  State,  — 

No,  not  that.  Dear,  good,  and  great  Thorvaldsen !  Kings  are 
indeed  powerless  to  bestow  what  is  signified  by  tliat  name.  Long 
after  military  glory  —  glory  stained  with  blood  —  has  ceased  its 
din,  the  name  of  the  great  artist  still  lives,  pure,  sublime,  blessed  of 
Heaven,  and  his  immortal  works  forever  engender  others.  My  last 
hours  in  Rome  were  made  pleasant  by  the  banquet  kindly  given  me 
by  my  excellent  Thorvaldsen.  But  to  say  good-by  was  all  the  more 
painful. 

Say  many  kind  things  from  me  to  the  worthy  family  Buti  and  to 
Nano.  Do  not  forget  to  remember  me  to  the  Signora  Giromctti,  a 
true,  very  true  Roman  woman ;  nor  to  the  amiable  Moretta.' 

I  made  the  journey  in  ten  days,  so  Rome  does  not  seem  so  far  of£. 
I  am  at  home  again,  and  you,  beloved  and  excellent  men,  are  still 
near  my  heart.  I  leave  to-morrow  for  Wurzbourg.  My  portrait, 
therefore,  may  not  reach  Rome  before  next  winter.  I  prefer  that 
you  should  get  it  later,  rather  than  in  a  bad  condition,  you  who  have 
represented  me  in  living  marble.    Adieu,  till  we  meet  again. 

Louis,  Prince  Royal,  who  sets  great  store  by  his  Thorvaldsen. 

old  king  professed  liberal  principles,  her  interference  in  affairs  of  state  was  the  cause 
of  fresh  complications,  and  she  was  obliged  to  leave  Bavaria,  in  February,  1848. 
The  month  following  (March  20),  the  king  was  forced  to  abdicate  in  favor  of  his 
eldest  son,  Maximilian  II. 

King  Louis,  who  lived  to  be  an  octogenarian,  continued  to  the  last  to  interest  him- 
self in  the  fine  arts,  and  to  patronize  artists.  He  also  regained  all  his  old  popularity, 
the  nation  remembering  only  the  wise  administration  of  the  finances  during  his 
reign  ;  nor  was  it  forgotten  that  Bavaria  owed  to  him  the  fine  canal  that  unites  the 
Danube  to  the  Maine,  and  bears  his  name  "  Ludwigskanal  "  The  first  railroad  in 
Germany  —  from  Nuremburg  to  Furth  —  Is  also  one  of  his  enterprises. 

1  The  letter  of  the  prince  is  in  German,  excepting  this  sentence  :  Dite  della  raia 
parte  molte  belle  cose  alia  brava  famiglia  Buti  ed  ad  Nano,  e  non  dimenticatemi  presso 
la  vera,  la  verissima  Romana,  la  Signora  Girometti,  neppure  presso  Tamabile  Mo- 
retta."  Even  in  Gemnan,  King  Louis  had  a  style  peculiarly  his  own,  which  is  often 
as  odd  as  it  is  original. 


88 


LIFE  OF  THOBYALDSEN. 


On  the  16th  of  October,  1822,  the  prince  writes  again  :  — 

Dear,  well-beloved,  and  great  Thorvaldsen,  —  I  am  very  happy  to  * 
hear  that  my  painted  portrait  pleases  you.    When  you  look  at  it, 
remember  that  it  represents  a  man  who,  separated  from  you  by  the  ' 
Alps  and  the  Apennines,  is  still  always  near  you  in  thought. 

In  conclusion,  he  says  :  — 

I  am  v<.'ry  anxious  that  the  "  Ilioneus  Niobides  "  should  be  restored 
by  you,  and  that  the  "Adonis"  (the  marble)  should  be  finished  by 
your  master-hand.  Be  kind  enough,  also,  not  to  forget  the  gospel 
bas-reliefs;^  and  you  wiU  infinitely  oblige  him  who  has  for  you  the 
greatest  esteem  and  deepest  aflTection. 

These  intimacies  with  ro3^al  personages  made  no  change 
in  the  character  of  Thorvaldsen.  Since  his  return  to  Rome 
he  had  been  constantly  occupied ;  for  he  had  not  only  to 
execute  important,  works  for  his  own  countrj^,  but  others  of 
no  less  importance  to  Germany.  The  monuments  to  Ponia- 
towski,  Prince  Potocki,  Field-Marshal  Schwarzenberg  (a 
sketch  only  was  made  of  the  latter),  and  to  Copernicus,  re- 
quired an  immense  deal  of  room,  and  obliged  him  to  provide 
himself  with  new  ateliers.  He  had,  however,  a  perfect  pha- 
lanx of  pupils  and  workmen,  who  in  their  several  capacities 
rendered  him  important  services. ^  It  is  not  surprising  that 
he  needed  so  many  auxiliaries,  when  we  consider  that  the 
master  was  working  at  the  same  time  on  the  "  Christ,"  the 
Twelve  Apostles,"  the  "  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist," 

1  These  bas-reliefs  must  be  those  which  the  artist  undertook  to  model  in  1817,  and 
which  represent  the  "  Annnnciation  of  the  Virgin  "  and  the  Holy  Women  at  the 
Sepulchre."  The  prince  wanted  the  marbles  for  a  church  he  proposed  to  erect  in 
Maui  eh . 

2  Herr  Thiele  gives  the  list  of  those  who  assisted  him  at  this  time,  some  of  whom 
became  themselves  famous  artists  :  Amadeo,  Babone,  Bardi,  the  brothers  Bieuaime' 
Bogazzi,  CaU,  Carlesi,  De  Angelis,  Ercole  the  Hungarian,  Ferenczy,  Freund,  Ga-Jti, 
Gahi,  Hermann  (Joseph),  Hofer,  Kauffmann,  Kessels,  Landini,  Launitz,  Leeb,  Livi, 
Marchetti,  Mareschalchi,  Michelangelo,  Moglia,  Moise,  Monti,  Orlowski,  Paccetti, 
Pettrich,  Raggi,  Restaldi,  Santi,  Schneider,  Stephan  the  Hungarian,  Tacca.Tanzi,  the 
brothers  Tenerani,  Vacca,  Wolff.  Here  we  have  already  a  respectable  phalanx, 
though  some  "ames  may  be  forgotten  in  the  list. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEK. 


89 


and  all  those  grand  compositions  which  ornament  to-da}^  the 
Frue  Kirke  at  Copenhagen. 

Each  day  brought  also  a  new  order,  sometimes  it  was  a 
bust,  sometimes  the  reproduction  of  a  former  work.  Nor 
must  we  forget  his  spontaneous  efforts,  his  artistic  fantasies, 
the  fruit  of  a  fertile  imagination. 

One  day  he  received  a  note  from  the  Baroness  Reden,  wife 
of  the  Hanoverian  minister  at  Rome.  "  The  little  Albanese," 
she  writes,  "  whom  I  spoke  to  3'ou  about  at  the  Prince  of 
Denmark's,  has  just  come :  she  will  be  here  with  me  until 
four  o'clock.  If  3'ou  would  like  to  see  her,  I  shall  be  de- 
lighted to  introduce  her  to  you." 

This  little  Albanese  was  a  remarkably  beautiful  child  about  \. 
thirteen  years  old,  whom  the  Secretary  of  the  Hanoverian 
Legation  had  seen  while  passing  on  horseback  through  one 
of  the  streets  of  Albano.  The  young  girl,  who  belonged  to 
a  poor  family  and  was  named  Vittoria  Cardoni,  became 
famous  among  the  artists.  All  the  painters  and  sculptors 
endeavored  to  reproduce  a  beaut}'  at  once  so  pure,  so  per- 
fect, and  so  strange  ;  but,  as  all  confessed,  none  of  them  fully 
succeeded,  and  Thorvaldsen  no  better  than  the  rest.  He, 
however,  made  use  of  the  prett}^  bust  he  modelled  from  her 
for  one  of  the  female  figures  in  the  "  Preaching  of  St.  John." 
It  is  the  woman  seated  and  holding  a  child. 

After  leaving  Copenhagen,  Thorvaldsen  seems  to  have 
devoted  much  thought  to  his  grand  religious  works.  In  an 
old  pocket-book  which  he  had  with  him  on  his  journe}^,  a 
number  of  sketches  have  been  found  of  the  apostles  or  other 
biblical  figures,  which  were  either  passing  fancies  of  his  own, 
or  hints  gathered  from  works  he  had  seen  in  his  travels.  On 
reaching  Rome,  he  went  seriously  to  work  and  made  a  large 
number  of  drawings.  As  early  as  1821  he  began  his  sketches 
in  cla}'.  As  soon  as  a  few  of  these  were  ready,  he  called 
in  his  pupils  to  his  aid.  His  custom  was  to  give  the  clay 
sketch  to  a  pupil,  with  precise  directions  respecting  the 


90 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


living  model  who  was  to  sit  for  it,  and  the  casting  of 
the  draper}^ ;  the  master,  while  the  work  was  in  progress, 
correcting  and  modifj-ing  and  sometimes  beginning  it  again. 
It  was  only  by  this  means  that  he  was  enabled  to  carry  on 
with  such  rapidit}"  and  simultaneousl}'  so  large  a  number  of 
works. 

The  "  Saint  Paul"  was  intrusted  to  a  young  artist  who  did 
not  prove  equal  to  the  task,  and  the  master  himself  modelled 
it  anew.  To  Bienaime,  the  elder,  was  given  the  study  of 
"  Saint  Peter,"  and  he  succeeded  better  in  bringing  his 
sketch  to  the  desired  point.  These  two  apostles  are  incon- 
testabl}^  ver}^  superior  to  the  other  ten. 

When  after  many  trials  Thorvaldsen  had  full}-  decided 
upon  the  attitude  he  would  give  his  "  Christ,"  he  admitted 
Tenerani  to  a  certain  participation  in  the  work,  but  only  to 
study  the  details  of  the  figure.  Subsequently,  when  engaged 
himself  upon  the  large  clay  model,  he  was  attacked  with 
lumbago  caused  by  the  dampness  of  the  atelier,  and  he 
therefore  again  put  the  figure  temporarily  into  the  hands 
of  Tenerani.  Though  forced  to  give  up  a  work  which  re- 
quired the  free  use  of  his  limbs,  he  could  not  remain  inactive  ; 
and  he  employed  his  leisure  in  fulfilling  a  commission  of  the 
Milan  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  for  a  monument  to  Appiani, 
representing  the  Genius  of  Art  singing  the  praises  of  the 
painter,  while  the  Graces  deplore  his  death. 

As  soon  as  Thorvaldsen  had  recovered  from  his  attack,  he 
again  took  into  his  own  hands  the  statute  of  "  Christ,"  finish- 
ing the  clay  with  care.  Meanwhile  the  "  Apostles  "  and  the 
"Preaching  of  St.  John"  were  slowl}^  advancing  under  the 
hands  of  his  pupils,^  so  that  in  1822  this  complex  work  had 

1  Bienaim^,  the  younger,  Tenerani,  the  younger,  and  Marchetti,  were  intrusted 
with  '-Saint  Matthew,"  "  Saint  Thomas,"  and  "  t^aint  James."  The  other  apostles 
were  studied, "  Saint  Philip,"  hy  P.-ittrich ;  Saint  James,"  by  Bienaim(5,  the  younger; 
"Saint  Simon,"  by  Emile  Wolff;  "Saint  Bartholomew,"  by  Carlesi ;  "Saint  An- 
drew," by  Joseph  Hermann.  As  to  the  "  Saint  John,"  executed  by  Paccetti,  it  was 
put  aside,  and  begun  again  in  1824  by  Marclietti.    Paccctti's  was  modified  subse- 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


already  made  great  progress,  and  a  large  portion  of  it  been 
put  into  plaster. 

It  had  soon  to  undergo  the  bitter  criticism  of  jealousy. 
Tills  did  not  seem,  however  to  disturb  the  artist  who,  en- 
couraged by  the  approbation  of  competent  judges,  wrote 
to  a  friend  :  "  My  recent  works  of  large  dimensions,  espe- 
cially the  models  of  the  colossal  statues  of  '  Christ,'  and 
the  apostles  '  Saint  Peter'  and  '  Saint  Paul,'  have  been  for- 
tunate in  securing  the  approbation  of  all  the  connoisseurs  in 
this  city." 

Passing  from  one  composition  to  another  with  remarkable 
versatility,  Thorvaldsen  carried  on  at  the  same  time  his 
works  intended  for  Germany;  going  from  his  "Christ" 
to  the  monument  of  Poniatowski,  and  from  the  "  St.  John" 
to  the  statue  of  Prince  Potocki,  or  the  monument  of  Coper- 
nicus. 

In  the  summer  of  1822  he  found  near  his  atelier  a  large 
building  extremel}'  well  lighted  which  had  served  as  a  stable 
for  the  Palace  Barberini.  He  quickl}^  converted  it  into  what 
he  called  his  "  grand  atelier,"  because  he  immediately  col- 
lected and  placed  in  it  his  models  of  large  size.  All  the 
figures  in  the  "Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist"  were 
here  set  up,  so  that  the  effect  of  the  composition  as  a  whole 
could  now  be  estimated.  In  1823,  he  composed  his  first 
"  Angel  of  Baptism."  i 

Thorvaldsen  was  now  at  the  zenith  of  his  fame  :  he  had 
not  even  a  rival  in  Rome  since  Canova's  death,  in  October, 
1822.  Six  months  afterward  the  arts  were  threatened  with 
another  loss :  an  accident  happened  to  the  Danish  sculptor 

quently  and  used  for  Saint  Thaddeus,''  in  order  to  finish  in  haste  the  twelve  apos- 
tles when  the  artist  was  urged  to  send  without  delay  all  the  plasters  to  Copenhagen, 
because  they  wished  to  consecrate  the  new  church.  These  plasters  were  sent  from 
Leghorn,  January,  1828. 

1  This  work,  which  was  not  included  in  the  contract,  he  intended  to  present  to  the 
Frue  Kirke ;  hut  Lord  Lucan,  having  bespoken  it  in  rrarble,  Thorvaldsen  soon  after 
made  a  new  composition  in  which  the  angel  is  kneeling,  and  it  is  this  which  is  now 
in  the  church. 


92 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


which  might  have  cost  him  his  life.  Thorvaldsen,  after  hav- 
ing supped  as  usual  at  the  Signora  Buti's,  had  returned  to 
his  rooms  accompanied  b}'  the  son  of  this  lady.  The  child 
was  very  anxious  to  join  with  other  bo^'s  of  his  age  in  the 
nois}^  demonstrations  with  which  Easter  is  celebrated  in 
Rome,  and  Thorvaldsen  had  promised  to  lend  him  his  pistols. 
While  the  artist  pulled  the  trigger  of  one  to  make  sure  it  was 
not  loaded,  the  3'oung  Buti  possessed  himself  of  the  other. 
It  went  off  and  Thorvaldsen  fell,  wounded.  The  shock  was 
Adolent,  but  fortunateh'  the  wound  was  not  serious.  Two 
fingers  of  the  left  hand  were  struck  ;  but  the  ball  had  spent 
its  force  in  passing  through  his  clothing,  and  after  encoun- 
tering a  rib,  from  which  it  glanced  off,  finalty  flattened  itself 
against  a  button.  Thorvaldsen  was  obliged  to  nurse  him- 
self a  little,  and  wear  his  arm  in  a  sling  for  a  few  da3's.  His 
friends  could  do  no  less  than  celebrate  such  a  providential 
escape.  A  grand  fete  was  given  upon  the  occasion,  and 
numerous  felicitations  in  prose  and  verse  were  addressed  to 
the  artist. 

Thorvaldsen,  whose  intercourse  with  the  great  dignitaries 
of  the  Roman  Church  had  hitherto  been  very  slight,  had  now 
an  opportunity  to  be  presented  by  the  Prince  of  Denmark  to 
the  illustrious  Cardinal  Ercole  Consalvi,  the  able  adversar}^ 
of  Napoleon  I.,  the  negotiator  of  the  Concordat,  and  upon 
whom  fell  the  chief  burden  of  the  quarrel  between  the  Papacy 
and  the  Empire. 

The  Romans  professed  a  great  veneration  for  Pius  VII,, 
and  had  almost  as  much  for  Consalvi,  who  deserved  it  no 
less.  As  to  the  cardinal,  he  gave  to  the  Holy  Father  the 
respect  and  affection  of  a  son ;  and  from  the  ya^v  1822  had 
proposed  to  himself  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  his  mem- 
ory, though  the  Pontiff  at  that  time  was  still  living.  In  the 
will  of  Consalvi^  is  this  clause  :  — 

»  See  the  "  Memoirs  of  Cardinal  Consalvi,"  by  J.  Cr6tineau,  Joly,  vol.  i.,  2d  od., 
1866.  H.Plon. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


93 


Deeming  it  unbecoming  that  so  famous  a  pontifl*  as  Pius  VII. 
and  one  who  has  deserved  so  well  of  church  and  state,  should  not 
have  after  his  death  (may  God  prolong  his  days)  a  tomb  in  the 
basilica  of  St.  Peter,  which  seems  likely  on  account  of  the  small 
inheritance  he  will  leave  to  his  nephews,  I,  moved  by  my  devotion 
and  attachment  to  his  sacred  person,  inspired  by  the  gratitude  I  owe 
to  him,  as  the  first  cardinal  of  his  creation,  and  k»aded  with  benefits 
through  his  sovereign  goodness,  have  resolved  to  erect  to  him  at  my 
own  expense  a  mausoleum  in  the  aforesaid  basilica.  To  this  end  I 
have  endeavored,  by  retrenching  my  annual  expenses,  to  set  aside 
the  sum  of  twenty  thousand  Roman  crowns.  If  I  die  before  his 
Holiness,  as  I  hope  to  do,  upon  my  heir  and  trustee  will  devolve  the 
duty  of  applying  the  above  sum  to  the  erection  of  this  tomb ;  the 
execution  of  which  shall  be  confided  to  the  chisel  of  the  celebrated 
Marquis  Canova,  and  failing  him  to  the  celebrated  Chevalier  Thor- 
valdsen,  and,  if  he  cannot  execute  it,  to  one  of  the  best  sculptors 
in  Rome.  The  following  inscription  shall  be  engraved  on  this 
tomb  :  — 

Pio  VII.,  Charamontio,  C^senati,  Pontifici  Maximo. 
Hercules,  Cardinalis  Consalvi  Romanus. 
Ab  Illo  Creatus. 

The  tomb  shall  have  three  statues :  one  on  the  urn,  that  of  the 
Pope  himself;  on  the  two  sides,  the  virtues.  Strength  and  Wisdom. 

Signed,         E.  Cardinal  Consalvi. 

i;oME,  Aug.  1,  1822. 

Pius  VII.  preceded  his  faithful  friend  to  the  tomb,  to  the 
profound  grief  of  Consalvi,  who  now  took  steps  to  put  into 
execution  the  project  recorded  in  his  will ;  but,  as  Canova 
was  dead,  he  sent  for  Thorvaldseu.  This  was  in  the  month 
of  November,  1824.  When  the  messenger  came  to  notify 
the  artist,  he  was  engaged  upon  one  of  his  religious  works, 
the  "  Angel  of  Baptism."  Surprised  at  the  message,  he 
repaired  to  the  palace  inhabited  by  the  cardinal,  and  upon 
giving  his  name  was  received  with  respect  and  conducted  to 
Mis  Eminence. 

Thorvaldsen,  who  had  the  highest  veneration  for  the  pre- 


94 


LIFE  OF  TUORVALDSEN. 


late,  so  highly  appreciated  the  honor  done  him  by  the  offer 
of  the  commission,  that  with  his  usual  rashness  he  accepted 
it  in  spite  of  the  immense  amount  of  work  with  which  he 
was  already  overwhelmed.  In  returning  to  his  studio,  he,  so 
habitually  discreet  and  reserved,  related  with  exultation  to 
the  friends  he  met  the  extraordinary  instance  of  good  for- 
tune, as  he  regarded  it,  which  had  befallen  him. 

In  confiding  to  him,  a  Protestant,  the  erection  of  a  monu- 
ment in  St.  Peter's  to  the  head  of  the  Catholic  Church,  the 
cardinal  undoubtedly  gave  him  a  high  proof  of  esteem.  But 
in  default  of  Canova,  the  Catholic  sculptor,  Consalvi  could 
find  no  artist  who  could  be  preferred  to  Thorvaldsen.  Such 
is  the  interpretation  we  put  on  the  terms  of  the  will,  which 
assigns  only  a  secondary  place  to  the  Danish  sculptor. 

This  commission  caused  great  surprise  in  Rome.  Thor- 
valdsen's  enemies  made  it  the  occasion  for  new  and  violent 
attacks.  All  went  on  well,  however,  while  the  cardinal 
lived,  and  the  artist  had  no  reason  to  be  disturbed  b}'  the 
cabal.  He  accordingi}"  set  to  work,  following  the  precise 
instructions  given  him,  and  from  which  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  deviate.  It  was  then  the  established  rule, 
founded  on  precedents,  that  a  monument  in  honor  of  a 
deceased  pope  should  be  composed  of  the  portrait  of  the 
pontiff  and  two  allegorical  figures.  The  form  was  of  neces- 
sity to  be  pyramidal,  so  that  it  might  be  placed  in  one  of 
those  great  niches  designed  for  such  works,  in  the  interioi 
of  St.  Peter's. 

The  first  sketch,  in  clay,  was  made  in  January,  1824.^ 
The  Pope  is  seated :  he  has  a  palm-branch  in  his  hand,  while 
two  angels  hold  above  his  head  a  starry  crown.  This  com- 
position was  not  accepted,  because  these  two  attributes,  the 

1  The  first  two  sketches  found  of  this  monument  are  hastily  pencilled,  the  one  o;i 
the  back  of  a  letter  dated  Nov.  12, 1823,  the  second  on  another  letter  of  10th  Deceni- 
bcr  (Thiele  )  In  the  Museum  of  Copenhagen  a  great  number  of  similar  sketchc-s 
are  presei yed. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


95 


palm  and  crown,  belong  to  saints  ;  and  of  course  Pius  VII., 
who  had  just  died,  was  not  canonized. 

On  the  24tli  of  Januar}',  1824,  at  the  age  of  sixt3^-seven. 
Cardinal  Consalvi  died,  universally  mourned.  He  had  long 
before  placed  in  the  Monte  di  Pieta^  in  Rome,  the  twenty 
thousand  crowns  for  the  erection  of  the  monument ;  and, 
thanks  to  this  deposit,  no  difficulty  could  be  made  with  the 
artist  concerning  payment.  But  he  was  subjected  to  many 
annoyances  through  envy  and  intolerance,  and  was  far 
from  seeing  the  end  of  the  vexations  this  affair  was  to  cause 
him. 

Thorvaldsen  made  another  sketch,  in  which  the  Pope  is 
represented  as  resigning  all  his  pomp  as  sovereign  and 
pontiff.  He  has  laid  aside  the  tiara,  and  is  seated,  bowed 
down  under  his  sufferings.  Though  there  was  much  pathos 
in  the  composition,  it  did  not  agree  with  the  received  ideas 
of  the  church,  —  it  was  not  thus  the  Father  of  the  Faithful 
should  be  represented  at  the  moment  of  his  eartlil}-  de- 
liverance. He  had  therefore  to  compose  still  another 
model. 

While  the  artist  was  thus  occupied,  he  also  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  the  bust  of  the  Holy  Father,  having  already  studied 
the  face.  He  had  several  good  pictures  to  refer  to,  and  a 
mask  above  all  was  very  useful  to  him.  Hardly  had  he  be- 
gun this  part  of  his  work,  when  the  cardinal  died. 

The  numerous  friends  of  Consalvi  desired  to  have  a  medal 
struck  in  honor  of  the  illustrious  statesman.  A  committee 
was  formed,  headed  by  the  Duchess  of  Devonshire  and  thp 
Hanoverian  ambassador,  Baron  von  Reden.  The  subscrip- 
tion-list, filling  rapidly  up,  reached  so  large  an  amount,  that 
after  two  medals  had  been  struck  off,  one  b}^  Girometti,  the 

1  This  deposit  was  made  a  few  days  after  his  first  interview  with  the  sculptor.  In 
the  official  declaration  made  at  the  time,  Consalvi  states  that  the  sum  is  deposited  by 
a  person  who  is  not  named  doubtless  because  he  was  averse  to  publicly  parading^ 
himself  as  the  donor.  But  the  recent  publication  of  his  will,  the  last  clause  of  whicli 
we  have  given,  affords  positive  information  on  this  point. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJ^. 


other  by  Cerbara,  there  remained  a  surplus  of  seven  hundred 
and  sixty-four  crowns. ^  It  was  therefore  decided  to  erect  a 
monument  in  honor  of  the  cardinal,  and  Thorvaldsen  was 
sent  for.  The  artist,  glad  of  the  opportunit}^  to  show  his 
respect,  immediately  accepted  the  commission. 

The  monument  was  to  be  placed  in  the  Pantheon,  where 
the  heart  of  the  cardinal  was  deposited.  With  the  aid  of 
a  bust  belonging  to  Signor  Torlonia,  of  a  portrait  painted  by 
Lawrence,  and  the  medal  of  Girometti,  Thorvaldsen  modelled 
the  bust ;  and,  being  assisted  by  the  suggestions  of  a  person 
who  had  lived  long  and  familiarly  with  the  cardinal,  he  pro- 
duced a  faithful  portrait  as  well  as  a  fine  work  of  art.^ 

The  erection  of  the  monument  was  delaj^ed  by  unforeseen 
obstacles :  to  remove  them.  Baron  von  R6den  had  recourse 
to  the  new  Pope,  and  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  the 
mausoleum  was  inaugurated  the  17th  September,  1824. 

As  the  sarcophagus  bore  only  a  simple  inscription,  the 
artist  thought  the  monument  incomplete,  and  took  upon  him- 
self the  expense  of  a  supplementary  bas-relief.  One  of  the 
most  important  services  rendered  by  the  cardinal  to  the 
Papacy  was  beyond  dispute  the  recovery,  by  his  able  nego- 
tiations at  the  Vienna  Congress,  of  the  provinces  lost  to 
the  Holy  See  by  the  treaty  of  Tolentino  in  1799.  In  Thor- 
valdsen's  composition  these  provinces  are  symbolized  b}' 
six  female  figures  who,  presented  to  Pius  VII.  by  Consalvi, 
kneel  to  the  Holy  Father  while  he  gives  them  his  benedic- 
tion.^ 

1  Thiele. 

2  The  committee  gave  Thorvaldsen  for  his  marble  the  sum  of  four  hundred  and 
forty  crowns,  and  the  remaining  three  hundred  and  twenty-four  crowns  were  em- 
ployed in  the  purchase  of  the  sarcophagus. 

3  Shortly  after  Thorvaldsen  had  made  the  committee  a  present  of  this  bas-relief, 
he  in  turn  received,  through  Baron  von  Reden  its  president,  a  silver  cup,  ornamented 
with  medallions.  It  bore  the  effigy  of  the  cardinal,  with  the  following  inscription 
encircled  by  vine-leaves :  "  Gli  Amici  del  Defunto  Card.  Consalvi  all'  Amico  A. 
Thorvaldsen.  Roma.  MDCCCXXV."  The  artist  subsequently  gave  this  cup  to 
his  daughter.  (Thiele.) 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN, 


97 


The  monument  to  Consalvi  was  completed  long  before  tliat 
of  Pies  VII.,  which  required  a  great  deal  more  labor  and 
study.  The  latter  was  not,  however,  neglected  ;  and  a  third 
sketch,  which  satisfied  both  the  artist  and  the  persons  ap- 
pointed to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  deceased  cardinal, 
was  finished  by  the  end  of  the  j^ear  1824.  It  represented  the 
Pope  clothed  in  his  sacerdotal  robes  and  seated  in  his  pontifi- 
cal chair ;  his  heavy  cope  falls  over  his  left  arm,  his  right 
hand  is  raised  in  the  act  of  benediction. 

The  sketch  having  been  accepted,  Thorvaldsen  set  to  work 
to  finish  the  monument,  taking  care  meanwhile  to  maintain 
a  prudent  reserve  with  regard  to  it.^  The  statue  of  the  Pope 
himself  was  completed  in  1825  ;  and,  becoming  directly  the 
subject  of  discussion  in  Rome,  occasion  was  given  to  the 
envious  to  attack  it  as  the  work  of  a  heretic.  This  hostility^ 
however,  had  no  other  effect  upon  Thorvaldsen  than  to 
make  him  devote  himself  with  all  the  more  ardor  to  the 
completion  of  his  task.  The  other  two  statues,  "  Strength" 
and  "Wisdom,"  were  already  designed:  Thorvaldsen  put 
them  at  once  into  the  hands  of  the  pupils  who  were  to  model 
from  them  the  first  sketches  in  relief.  "  Little  do  I  care  for 
these  cabals,"  he  used  to  say  to  his  friends  :  "I  have  got  the 
commission  for  the  monument,  and  I  shall  finish  it,  I  promise 
you." 

At  the  ver}^  time  while  the  spirit  of  intolerance  was  busy 
exciting  these  miserable  jealousies,  the  artist,  by  a  singular 
coincidence,  was  solicited,  in  behalf  of  the  Convent  of  the 
Capuchins,  to  make  an  ornamented  cross  with  inscriptions, 
intended  for  the  Piazza  dei  Qappuccini  adjoining  the  Piazza 
Barberini.    It  was  scarcel}^  a  work  worth}^  of  Thorvaldsen  ; 

1  Bienaim6  was  the  pupil  selected  to  make  from  it  a  colossal  model.  The  bust  had 
already  been  fiaished  by  Thorvaldsen,  who  had  been  long  at  work  upon  it.  The 
head  was  to  be  covered  with  the  tiara,  and  that  the  drapery  might  be  easier  modelled 
the  pontifical  robes  were  intrusted  to  the  artist.  In  consequence,  no  visitors  were, 
<luriug  that  time,  admitted  to  the  atelier. 
7 


98 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


but,  comprehending  the  advantage  that  might  accrue  to  him 
from  having  such  a  commission,  he  accepted  it  willingly,  and 
tried  so  hard  to  satisfy  the  monks  that  the  cross  was  soon 
erected  (April  20,  1825).  He  would  receive  no  compensa- 
tion for  it,  a  piece  of  generosity  which  very  much  impressed 
the  Capuchins.  We  may,  however,  be  permitted  to  suspect 
that  they  had  shrewdly  anticipated  such  a  result,  when  apply- 
ing to  a  heretic  artist.  However  this  maj^  be,  the  sculptor's 
liberality  is  recorded  on  the  paper  containing  the  estimate  of 
the  cost,  where  we  read:  "Tutto  e  conchiuso !  S.  Fran- 
cesco e  un  gran  Santo !  Saremo  quattro  benefattori.  II 
Cavaliere  Thorvaldsen,  benefattore,  s'  incarica  dell'  esecu- 
zione,''  etc 

Thus  the  artist  was  enabled  to  refute  with  a  new  fact  ^  the 
argument  which  had  been  used  against  him,  that  a  Protes- 
tant could  not  properly  be  intrusted  with  the  execution  of  a 
work  having  a  Catholic  destination.  To  reph^  in  this  man- 
ner was  better  than  any  argument. 

Meanwhile  the  mausoleum  of  Pius  Yll.  was  not  finished, 
and  even  those  who  defended  Thorvaldsen  though  he  did 
not  pay  sufficient  attention  to  it.  The  truth  was  that  the 
artist,  overwhelmed  with  the  vast  amount  of  work  he  had  on 
hand,  could  not  devote  himself  exclusivel}^  to  any  one  sub- 
ject. His  enemies  took  advantage  of  this  delay,  to  accuse 
him  of  a  want  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  Holy  Father. 
They  wrote  shameful  anonymous  letters  ,2  and  the  cabal  be- 
came so  powerful,  that  it  was  for  a  moment  doubtful  whether 
the  monument  would  be  erected  in  St.  Peter's.  Two  unex- 
pected circumstances,  however,  foiled  these  hostile  attempts. 

Canova,  who  was  President  of  the  Academ}^  of  St.  Luke  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  was  succeeded  in  this  honorable  post 
by  the  historical  painter  Camuccini.  But  after  three  3^ears, 
according  to  the  regulations  of  the  Academy,  the  painter  was 

1  The  monument  of  Consalvi  had  heen  inaugurated  the  preceding  year. 
*  See  Thiele,  vol.  ii.  chap.xii. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


99 


to  be  replaced  by  a  sculptor.  Thorvaldsen's  superiority  made ' 
him  the  proper  person  to  fill  the  presidential  chair ;  and  his 
enemies,  who  had  no  strong  candidate  to  oppose  to  him, 
were  in  a  complete  quandary.  His  friends  loudly  declared 
that  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  the  Academy  to  nominate  any 
one  but  him,  while  his  opponents  replied  that  it  would  be  a 
positive  scandal  to  invest  with  such  functions  an  artist  who 
was  not  a  Catholic.  But,  whatever  the  result,  the  contro- 
versy could  only  redound  to  the  honor  of  the  sculptor ;  for, 
if  he  were  rejected,  it  would  only  be  for  reasons  which  had 
nothing  to  do  with  art :  his  merit  was  not  called  in  question. 
Thorvaldsen  made  merry  with  his  friends  over  the  embar- 
Tassment  of  the  party  in  opposition.  That  the  majority  was 
in  his  favor  was  not  doubtful,  but  there  was  another  difficulty 
in  the  case,  which  even  his  partisans  looked  upon  as  serious. 
The  President  of  the  Academ}^  in  the  discharge  of  his  du- 
ties was,  on  certain  solemn  occasions,  obliged  to  be  present 
in  his  official  character  at  the  ceremonies  of  the  Church ; 
and  the  question  now  arose,  whether  the  pontifical  govern- 
ment would  be  pleased  that  a  Protestant  artist  should,  in 
such  cases,  be  called  upon  to  represent  the  Academ}'.  It 
was  thought  prudent  to  submit  the  matter  to  the  Holy 
Father.  "Is  there  any  doubt  that  he  is  the  greatest  sculp- 
tor we  have  now  in  Rome?  "  asked  Leo  XII.  "  The  fact  is 
incontestable,"  was  the  repl}^  "  Then  there  can  be  no  hesi- 
tation, and  he  must  be  made  president.  Only  there  are 
times  when  he  will  see  the  propriety  of  being  indisposed." 
The  words  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  removed  all  scruples. 
Dec.  16,  1825,  Thorvaldsen  was  elected  President  of  the 
Academy  of  St.  Luke  by  a  majority  of  votes,  for  the  usual 
term  of  three  years.  The  decoration  ^ro  merito  belonging  to 
this  title  was  sent  to  him. 

The  liberal  decision  of  Leo  XII.  argued  well  for  tho 
erection  of  the  monument  of  Pius  VII.  ;  but  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  went  still  further.    Expressing  a  desire  to  see  the 


lOO 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


mausoleum  of  his  predecessor,  he  signified  his  intention 
of  going  in  person  to  the  atelier  of  the  president  of  the 
Academy.  In  one  way  this  was  a  token  of  official  approba- 
tion The  Holy  Father  came,  and  pausing,  so  it  is  said,  by 
accident  before  the  bas-relief  of  the  "  Ages  of  Love,"  highly 
appreciated  the  ingenious  delicacy  of  that  profane  compo- 
sition. 

This  bas-relief  was  modelled  during  the  Holy  Week  of 
1824.  For  several  da3^s,  according  to  custom,  the  ateliers 
were  all  closed ;  and  the  artist  profited  by  the  seclusion  to 
iiompose  this  charming  creation,  as  a  rest  to  his  mind  after 
Itis  great  works.  He  had  first  intended  the  composition  to 
decorate  a  vase  for  which  he  had  long  been  keeping  a  large 
block  of  Carrara  marble.  The  subject  was  suggested  to  him 
by  the  famous  picture  found  at  Stabise,  —  "The  Sale  of 
Loves  "  In  Thorvaldsen's  bas-relief,  Psyche  plays  the  part 
of  saleswoman.  She  distributes  the  loves  according  to  the 
ages  of  the  customers.  This  graceful  composition  had  an 
immense  success,  and  was  reproduced  so  many  times  that 
the  sculptor  had  not  alwaj's  the  leisure  to  superintend  care- 
full}^  enough  the  difl^'erent  copies. ^ 

Notwithstanding  the  visit  of  Leo  XII.,  the  monument  of 
Pius  VII.  remained  still  a  long  time  in  hand  before  it  was 
finished.  Difficulties  of  another  kind  also  retarded  its  erec- 
tion. In  November,  1830,  the  artist  was  sent  for  to  make  a 
careful  examination  of  the  place  designed  for  it  in  St.  Peter's  ; 
when,  not  having  been  aware  that  the  Pontiflf  was  to  be  buried 
in  the  mausoleum,  he  found  he  had  made  a  wrong  estimate 
of  the  length  required,'^  —  a  mistake  which  greatly  afl*ected 
the  general  aspect  of  the  monument.  Nor  was  this  all.  The 
height  of  th(.  recess  having  been  incorrectly  measured,  the 

1  Later,  he  was  himself  astonished  at  the  great  difference  he  found  between  one  of 
the  copies  and  the  original.  The  first  marble,  which  is  a  simple  bas-relief,  was  exe- 
cuted for  Mr.  Labouchere.  This  Englishman  was  then  at  Rome  urging  Thorvaldsen 
to  finish  the  statue  of  "  Venus which  he  had  ordered, 

2  It  was  necessary  to  make  the  length  correspond  to  that  of  the  coflin. 


LIFE  OF  TIIOIiVALDSEN. 


lOI 


whole  system  of  proportions,  which  was  made  dependent 
upon  the  principal  figure,  was  found  to  be  wrong.  In  the 
endeavor  to  restore  the  general  equilibrium  of  the  monument, 
two  new  figures  were  added,  —  two  angels  placed  at  the  right 
and  left  of  the  Pontiff.i 

It  required  all  the  skill  of  the  artist  to  surmount  these 
difficulties  ;  but  at  last,  after  many  vexatious  delays  and  im- 
pediments, the  monument  of  Pius  VII.  was  finally  erected 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Peter  at  Rome,  in  1831,  seven  j^ears 
after  the  commission  for  it  had  been  given  b}'  Cardinal 
Consalvi. 

'  Thorvaldsen,  who  was  determined  not  to  leave  the  monument  inct  mplete,  mod- 
elled these  angels  with  incredible  rapidity,  putting  the  plasters  for  the  time  heing  in 
place  of  the  marbles,  which  were  finished  subsequently.  (Thiele.) 


HORSEMAN,  FROM  THE  FRIEZE,  "  THE  TRIUMPH  OF  ALEXANDER." 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


103 


CHAPTER  VII. 


The  Monument  to  Appiani.  —  Criticisms  upon  it.  —  The  Monuments 
to  Prince  Schwarzenberg  and  to  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg.  — 
The  King  of  Bavaria  in  Rome.  —  The  Grand  Duchess  Helena.  — 
Maria  Louisa.  —  Bust  of  Napoleon.  —  Medals  stolen  from  Thor- 
valdsen.  — Journey  to  Munich.  — Bartolini. 


cretl  compositions  for  Copenhagen  and  the  large  sepulchral 
monuments  for  Germany. 

We  have  already  referred  to  a  monument  in  memory  of 
Appiani,  inaugurated  at  Milan.  In  August,  1826,  the  com- 
mittee sent  a  letter  of  warm  thanks  to  the  sculptor,  accom- 
panied b}^  two  copies  of  the  commemorative  medal  struck  off 
at  the  time.    Notwithstanding  this  official  approbation,  the 


The  history 
of  the  mauso- 
leum of  Pius 
VII.  has 


GANYMEDE. 


obliged  us  to 
anticipate  a 
little :  we  now 
return,  there- 
fore, to  the  pe- 
riod at  which 
Thorval  d  s  e  n 
was  zealously 
working  upon 
his  grand  sa- 


I04 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


work  was  very  soon  subjected  to  severe  criticisms  ;  and  so 
ill-natured  an  article  appeared  in  the  "  Estensore  di  Milano" 
of  the  3d  of  September,  that  the  artist's  friends  hastened  to 
write  complimentary  letters  to  him  on  the  subject  Among 
the  expression  of  sympathy  called  forth  b}^  this  occasion, 
one  highly  appreciated  by  Thorvaldsen  himself  deserves 
special  mention.  It  was  from  the  bootmaker  Anselmo 
Ronghetti.  This  man,  who  was  a  ver}-  skilful  workman, 
had  a  great  passion  for  the  art  of  sculpture.  Thorvaldsen 
had  known  him  since  the  year  1819,  and  held  him  in  high 
esteem,  as  he  did  every  artisan  who  excelled  in  his  trade  :  he 
often  spoke  of  him  and  looked  upon  him  as  a  friend.  He 
had  left  casts  of  his  feet  with  him,  and  the  bootmaker  was 
in  the  habit  of  sending  him  from  time  to  time  some  new 
masterpiece  of  his  workmanship.  He  also  wrote  to  him 
twice  or  thrice  a  year ;  and  did  not  fail  to  do  so  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Appiani  monument,  forwarding  at  the  same 
time  a  pair  of  boots,  of  a  new  style  called  ronghettines, 
which  the  artist  received  with  great  pleasure.  His  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  present  Ronghetti  had  framed,  and  hung  it 
up  in  his  shop,  where  he  had  also  placed  the  bust  of  Lord 
Byron  given  to  him  by  the  sculptor.  Opposite  was  a  work 
by  Marchetti.i 

Among  tne  enthusiastic  admirers  of  Thorvaldsen  in  Rome 
was  a  very  celebrated  improvisatrice  named  Rosa  Taddei. 
It  is  well  known  how  fond  the  Italians  are  of  these  Academie 

^  Ronghetti,  as  his  letters  show,  was  very  tenacious  of  his  personal  dignity.  Like 
most  Italians,  he  was  also  very  sharp  and  quick-witted.  One  day  a  dandy  from 
Paris,  who  was  under  the  necessity  of  getting  a  pair  of  boots  in  Milan,  came  to  the 
ehop  and  was  imprudent  enough  to  express  openly  his  regret  at  being  reduced  to 
such  an  extremity.  The  bootmaker  flushed  up  to  the  roots  of  his  hair  with  anger, 
but,  concealing  his  rage  at  this  blow  to  his  vanity,  said  meekly,  that,  lest  he  might 
not  succeed  upon  a  first  trial,  he  would  only  make  one  boot,  which  would  serve  as  a 
guide  for  any  alterations  that  might  be  required  It  proved  to  be  a  marvel  of  its  kind, 
and  so  delighted  the  dandy  that  he  hastened  to  the  shop  to  express  his  satisfaction. 

Monsieur  can  have  the  mate  made  in  Paris,"  was  the  disdainful  rejoinder  of  the 
bootmaker,  who  thus  had  his  revenge.  Thorvaldsen  was  fond  of  teUing  this  anec- 
dote so  characteristic  of  Ronghetti. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


105 


di  poesia,  in  which  are  exercised  the  talents  of  fluent  pro- 
fessional orators,  de  omni  re  scibili  et  quibusdam  aliis.  Thor- 
valdsen  also-  had  a  taste  for  these  improvisations  ;  and  Rosa 
Taddei,  having  one  evening  begged  him  to  be  present  at  the 
performance,  drew  with  much  formality  from  the  urn,  as  a 
subject  for  improvisation,  "  The  Progress  of  Sculpture."  The 
artist  became,  as  it  were,  a  mark  for  the  eloquence  of  this 
woman.  All  went  well  until  the  moment  she  gave  him, 
through  inadvertence,  the  name  of  Son  of  God  {un  figlio  di 
Dio)  ;  when  the  uproar  was  great  among  the  scandalized 
audience.  The  feminine  orator  had  need  of  all  her  pres- 
ence of  mind  to  retrieve  this  false  step.  She,  however, 
succeeded  and  to  the  general  satisfaction  finished  her 
grandiloquent  discourse  with  these  words :  "  If  it  is  in 
Denmark  that  Thorvaldsen  was  born  into  life,  it  is  in  Italy 
that  he  was  born  to  art !  "  —  a  platitude  which  had  immense 
success. 

While  Thorvaldsen  was  occupied  with  his  great  sacred 
compositions,  his  German  works  required  also  constant  at- 
tention. 

The  monument  in  honor  of  Prince  von  Schwarzenberg  was 
never  executed,  nevertheless  the  studies  it  occasioned  pro- 
duced an  interesting  work;  viz.,  a  great  lion  intended  to 
be  placed  in  front  of  the  pedestal  of  the  statue.  When  he 
made  the  "  Lion  of  Lucerne,"  the  artist  had  not  a  living 
model :  for  this  new  composition  he  was  more  fortunate, 
as  there  was  in  Rome  at  this  time  in  a  menagerie  a  large 
and  very  beautiful  lion,  which  the  artist  went  often  to 
study.  1 

As  to  the  monument  of  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg  (Prince 
Eugene  de  Beauharnais) ,  difficulties  of  every  kind  long  de- 
layed its  completion.    The  duchess, 2  his  window,  had  deputed 

1  The  plaster  model  was  finished  in  1825.  Later  it  was  cut  in  marble.  This  mar- 
ble, the  only  one  in  existence,  is  in  the  Museum  of  Copenhagen, 

2  The  duchess  was  sister  of  King  Louis,  of  Bavaria. 


ic6 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSFX. 


Herr  Leon  von  Klenze,  the  architect-in-chief  of  the  King  of 
Bavaria,  to  design  the  mausoleum  she  proposed  to  erect  to 
the  memory  of  her  husband  in  the  Church  of  St.  Michael,  at 
Munich.  The  architect  not  only  made  a  general  plan  of  the 
monument,  but  also  a  drawing  for  the  group  of  statuary,  and 
with  the  approbation  of  the  duchess  sent  it  to  Thorvaldsen, 
April  24,  1824 

Though  it  was  not  very  agreeable  to  the  artist  to  accept 
a  plan  so  precisely  traced  out,  he  willingly  undertook  to 
execute  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  a  prince  who,  by  the 
nobility  and  integrity  of  his  character,  is  one  of  the  finest 
types  of  honor  history  has  bequeathed  to  us. 

The  sculptor  agreed  to  execute  the  principal  figure,  while 
the  rest  of  the  work  was  intrusted  to  Tenerani ;  but  he  re- 
quested at  the  same  time  some  modification  of  the  plans  of 
Herr  von  Klenze. ^  After  a  tedious  correspondence,  the  two 
seemed  at  last  to  come  to  an  understanding ;  but  as  a  long 
time  elapsed  without  the  artist's  giving  an}^  information 
about  his  work,  or  answering  the  most  urgent  letters,  it  was 
concluded  that  he  was  wholly  neglecting  it. 

Prince  Louis,  now  King  of  Bavaria,  had  occasion  to  write 
at  this  epoch  to  Thorvaldsen.  He  recommended  to  him  a 
young  artist  of  Munich,  named  Schwanthaler,  who  has  since 
acquired  a  high  reputation.^  In  a  postscript  he  added  :  "I 
beg  as  a  favor  that  you  will  pay  attention  to  the  monument 
of  my  late  brother-in-law  Kind  regard  to  the  good  Buti. 
Mille  saluti  a  loro,  anche  al  bravo  Tenerani  belle  cose  della 
parte  mia." 

These  entreaties  could  not  induce  Thorvaldsen  to  put 

1  There  is  reason  to  think  that  everything  would  have  heen  easily  arranged  be- 
tween the  architect  and  sculptor,  had  not  a  third  person  been  ordered  by  the  duchesa 
to  see  Thorvaldsen  in  Rome.  Neither  Herr  von  Klenze  nor  the  artist  was  pleased 
with  this  interference,  preferring  to  settle  their  aftairs  without  intervention.  Hence 
resulted  misunderstandings  and  delays.    See  Thiele. 

2  The  prince  greatly  desired  that  Schwanthaler  should  study  under  the  master 
and.  "in  order  that  he  might  really  be  his  pupil."  that  he  should  enter  his  atelier  i*- 
that  capacity.   The  colossal  statue  of  B.avaria  is  by  this  artist. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALBSEN. 


107 


aside  the  statue  of  Poniatowski  upon  which  he  was  then  en- 
gaged. Nevertheless,  while  waiting  for  the  master  to  take 
in  hand  the  principal  figure,  for  which  a  mask  of  the  Duke 
of  Leuchtenberg  had  been  sent  to  him,  Tenerani  was  busy 
upon  the  other  parts  of  the  work.  But  the  duchess,  who  had 
received  no  information  concerning  it,  at  last  wrote  herself 
the  26th  December,  1826  :  "  At  the  end  of  nearly  three 
3"ears,  during  which  you  have  wholly  neglected  the  mauso- 
leum, I  am  convinced  that  it  is  impossible  for  you.  to  fulfil 
the  stipulations  of  the  contract.  I  therefore  renounce,  with 
deep  regret,  the  idea  of  seeing  the  monument  erected  by  your 
hand." 

In  spite,  however,  of  the  silence  he  had  maintained,  the 
artist  himself  had  at  this  very  time  begun  to  work  upon 
the  principal  figure,  and  proceeded  so  rapidly  with  it  that  the 
completion  of  the  work  now  only  depended  upon  Tenerani. 
This  favorite  pupil  had  gone  awa}^  upon  a  journe3^l  Thor- 
valdsen,  though  he  had  the  greatest  regard  for  him,  became 
impatient  at  his  absence  and  invaded  his  atelier.  Once 
there,  he  could  not  refrain  from  putting  his  hand  to  the  work, 
which  he  soon  finished. 

Tenerani  was  then  an  independent  artist,  working  in  his 
own  atelier.  Upon  his  return,  he  manifested  much  dissat- 
isfaction at  this  infringement  of  his  rights ;  and,  some 
evil-disposed  people  encouraging  this  feeling,  Thorvald- 
sen  received  2  a  summons  to  choose  a  referee.  A  law-suit 
soon  followed,  which  lasted  almost  two  years,  and  was 
finally  settled  before  the  Roman  tribunals  by  a  judicial  ver- 

1  In  September,  1827,  the  artist  sent  word  that  he  would  be  glad  to  receive  the 
second  of  the  stipulated  payments.  The  duchess's  agent  in  Rome  wrote  at  once  to 
Munich,  where  the  good  news  excited  great  surprise,  and  at  the  same  time  consider- 
able anxiety ;  for  Thorvaldsen  had  kept  so  quiet  while  at  work  upon  it  that  there 
was  reason  to  fear  he  had  deviated  from  the  plan  agreed  upon.  The  duchess  wrote 
once  more;  but  it  is  doubiful  whether  it  were  not  now  too  late  to  follow  her  in- 
stnictions.  (Thiele.) 

2  Nov.  18,  1827. 


io8 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


did  A  By  this  time  the  monument  of  the  Duke  of  Leuchten- 
berg  had  arrived  in  Munich,  whither  the  sculptor  went 
shortly  afterward  to  superintend  its  erection. 

Works  executed  to  order,  which  restrict  the  artist  to  a 
plan  traced  out  beforehand,  are  rarely  undertaken  with  much 
enthusiasm,  whatever  interest  ma}^  be  attached  to  the  sub- 
jects. Whenever  Thorvaldsen  felt  himself  less  hampered  by 
his  engagements,  he  hastened  to  return  to  works  of  his  own 
choosing,  finding  in  them  a  relaxation  for  his  mind.  Thus 
in  1828  he  began  a  series  of  bas-reliefs,  known  as  the  "  Tri- 
umphs of  Love,"  which  represent  the  god  conquering  the 
four  elements,  earth,  air,  fire,  and  water.  These  composi- 
tions, which  have  been  often  repeated  in  marble,  form  a  very 
charming  series. 

The  violent  attacks  called  forth  by  the  Appiani  monument 
did  not  prevent  the  City  of  Pisa  from  applying  to  Thorvald- 
sen to  erect  a  mausoleum  in  the  Campo  Santo  to  the  memory 
of  Andrea  Vacca  Berlinghieri,  a  celebrated  oculist  of  that 
city,  who  had  recentl}^  died. 

As  soon  as  the  news  got  abroad,  and  even  before  Thorvald- 
sen had  received  the  commission,  the  jealousy  of  the  Italian 
sculptors  broke  out  afresh,  and  with  greater  violence.  Posi- 
tive threats  were  now  resorted  to,  and  he  was  summarily 
commanded  to  renounce  the  work  in  favor  of  some  native 
artist.  But  he  was  not  to  be  intimidated  hy  such  means ; 
and  when  the  commission  was  officially  offered  to  him, 
he  made  all  the  more  haste  to  accept  it.  A  letter  from 
one  of  his  friends,  the  Chevalier  Antonio  Piccolomini  Bel- 
larti,  of  Sienna,  dated  March  6,  1826,  had  alread}^  informed 
him  of  the  success  of  the  subscription  set  on  foot  to  defray 
the  cost  of  the  monument.  It  was  agreed  that  the  artist 
should  take  for  the  subject  of  his  bas-relief  "  Tobit  restoring 


1  The  adjustment  is  dated  Oct.  29, 1823.  Thorvaldsen  paid  the  same  day  four 
thousand  crowns  to  Tenerani  as  a  discharge  in  full  of  all  claims.  (Thiele.) 


LIFE  OF  TIIOBVALDSEN. 


109 


his  Father's  Sight."i  This  was  rapicllj^  modelled,^  while  the 
medallion  was  copied  from  a  portrait  painted  b}^  the  ocu- 
list's widow.  . 

The  erection  of  this  mausoleum  gave  rise  to  a  very  bitter 
controversy  in  the  pett}"  journals  of  Tuscan}',  but  Thorvald- 
sen  cared  little  for  their  ill-natured  criticisms.  His  greatest 
annoyances  arose  from  his  position  as  President  of  the  Acad- 
emy of  St.  Luke.  Every  day  the  jealousy  of  which  he  was 
the  obj(:ct  brought  upon  him  some  new  vexation  ;  and  it  was 
with  joy  that  he  hailed. the  approach  of  the  3'ear  1828,  when, 
according  to  the  rules,  he  was  to  lay  aside  an  office  in  the 
performance  of  whose  duties  he  had  never,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, taken  a  zealous  pride. 

It  was  therefore  with  unmixed  satisfaction  that  he  deliv- 
ered his  farewell  address  at  the  annual  meeting  on  the  26tji 
of  December.  He  was  on  the  same  day  unanimously  elected 
vice-president  of  the  department  of  sculpture  ;  but  he  made 
small  account  of  this  new  honor,  and  now  that  he  was  freed 
from  the  burden  of  the  presidenc}'  never  again  attended 
the  sittings  of  the  Academy.  Formal  admonitions  on  the 
subject  were  sent  to  liim,  in  which  it  was  declared  that  his 
prolonged  absence  was  not  sufficientl}^  canonical  {non  bas- 
tantemente  canonicd)  ;  but  the}"  produced  no  elTect,  for  the 
artist  was  determined  to  free  himself  entirely  from  obliga- 
tions which  had  become  unendurable.  He  even  endeavored 
to  resign  his  professorship,  but  was  induced  to  yield  to  the 
earnest  desire  of  the  Academy,  expressed  in  an  official  letter,^ 

'  Thorvaldsen  had  asked  two  thousand  crowns  for  a  bas-relief  and  a  medal- 
lion. The  president  of  the  committee  replied,  July  6,  1826,  '-that  they  would 
be  greatly  obliged  if  the  artist  would  be  kind  enough  to  reduce  the  price,  not 
that  they  thought  it  excessive,  considering  his  great  reputation,  but  because  their 
resources  were  insufficient  to  meet  it."  Thorvaldsen  entered  readily  into  the 
views  of  the  committee,  and  with  his  usual  disinterestedness  reduced  the  price 
one-half, 

2  About  the  month  of  August,  1828,  the  plasters  were  sent  to  Pisa,  and  the 
marbles  were  finished  a  year  later. 
»  Sept.  11,1831. 


no 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


that  he  would  retain  the  title  at  least  for  a  short  time 
longer. 

The  King  of  Bavaria,  desiring  to  enjoy  again  the  society 
of  friends  and  artists  in  Rome,  had  purchased  the  Villa  di 
Malta,  where  he  took  up  his  residence  at  the  beginning  of 
the  year  1829.  He  thus  became  Thorvaldsen's  near  neigh- 
bor, and  the  royal  dignity  did  not  hinder  him  from  resuming 
his  old  habits  of  friendly  familiarit}'. 

A  day  or  two  after  his  arrival  in  Rome,  his  majest}'  re- 
pairs to  the  famous  Osteria  Ripa  di  Grande^  in  company 
with  Joseph  Koch,  Catel,  Thorvaldsen,  and  several  other 
artists,  and  sits  down  at  his  old  place,  marked  by  a  bad 
penn}^  nailed  on  the  table.  The  repast  is  a  gay  one :  they 
talk,  the}'  discuss  every  thing,  even  politics  are  not  ex- 
cluded ;  for  we  hear  that,  in  a  moment  of  extreme  good 
humor,  all  the  guests  get  upon  the  table,  clinking  their 
glasses,  and  shouting  with  all  their  might,  "  Down  with  Don 
Miguel ! "  1 

Some  days  after,  the  king  surprised  Thorvaldsen  in  his 
atelier,  and,  before  the  sculptor  was  aware  of  his  purpose, 
hung  round  his  neck  the  cross  of  commander  of  the  crown 
of  Bavaria,  saying,  "  It  is  on  the  field  of  battle  that  the 
soldier  is  honored ;  and  so  the  artist,  too,  ought  to  receive 
his  reward  of  merit  on  the  very  spot  where  he  has  done  so 
many  great  things." 

The  prince  came  often  thus  to  visit  the  sculptor.  More 
than  once  Thorvaldsen,  working  near  his  open  window, 
heard  himself  called  by  a  passer-b}',  inviting  him  to  come 
and  dine.    It  was  the  King  of  Bavaria.^ 

There  was  another  personage  of  high  rank  at  this  time 
in  Rome,  who  kept  up  an  infinitel}^  greater  state  than  the 

1  The  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  son  of  Eugene  Beauharnais  and  nephew  of 
King  Louis,  espoused  Donna  Maria,  daughter  of  Don  Pedro.  This  princess  be- 
came Queen  of  l*ortugal,  when  her  uncle,  Don  Miguel,  lost  the  throne  he  had 
usurped. 

2  Thiele. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


Ill 


Bavarian  monarch,  —  the  Grand  Duchess  Helena  of  Russia. 
Every  night  there  was  a  fete  at  her  palace,  whither  flocked 
all  the  best  society,  eager  to  swell  the  train  of  the  princess, 
tvho  dazzled  all  eyes  by  her  beauty.  Thorvaldsen  was  com- 
missioned to  model  her  bust.  She  came  to  sit  to  him,  and 
ae  produced  a  work  which  won  him  universal  praise. 

It  is  a  fact  without  precedent  in  the  sculptor's  life,  that  he 
/his  year  declined  a  commission.  The  Archduchess  Maria 
Louisa,  widow  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  I.,  had  lost  her 
second  husband,  the  Count  von  Neipperg,  and  wished  to 
erect  a  mausoleum  to  his  memory  in  the  Church  of  Saint 
Louis,  at  Parma.  She  sent  to  beg  Thorvaldsen  to  under- 
take the  work,  but  he  refused  the  honor. 

By  a  somewhat  singular  coincidence,  he,  almost  at  the 
same  time,  accepted  a  commission  from  a  Scotch  gentleman, 
Mr.  Alexander  Murray,  for  a  colossal  bust  of  Napoleon  I. 
Thorvaldsen,  who  had  never  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  emperor,  got  together  all  that  he  needed  for  his  guid- 
ance, statues,  medals,  engravings,  and  succeeded  in  produc- 
ing a  work  grave  in  character,  which  has  the  air  of  an 
apotheosis  rather  than  a  portrait.  The  bust  is  supported  by 
an  eagle  with  outspread  wings  ;  an  arrangement  which  may 
be  seen  in  several  of  the  busts  of  Roman  emperors. 

A  fervent  admirer  of  antiquity,  Thorvaldsen  was  also  an 
enthusiastic  collector  of  works  of  ancient  art,  —  vases,  en- 
graved stones,  statuettes,  cameos,  medals.  These  collections 
are  now  in  the  Museum  in  Copenhagen,  where  they  fill  sev- 
eral rooms  on  the  first  floor.  At  the  time  of  which  we  are 
now  writing,  the  house  where  he  lived  was  undergoing  re- 
pairs, and  he  thought  it  prudent  to  close  all  access  to  his 
apartments,  so  that  no  one  could  enter  his  rooms  except 
through  the  lodgings  of  Signora  Buti.  Meanwhile,  he  one 
day  noticed  that  he  had  been  robbed  of  a  large  number  of 
medals.  Great  was  the  grief  of  the  collector,  and  in  the  first 
outburst  of  his  anger  he  was  rash  enough  to  suspect  the 


I  12 


LIFE  OF  THOBVA.LDSEN. 


lionest  people  with  whom  he  lived.  A  legal  examination 
became  necessaiy,  when  it  was  found  that  the  thief  was  a 
miserable  fellow  whom  the  artist  had  emploj'ed  to  keep  his 
accounts.  As  soon  as  there  was  a  hope  of  recovering  his 
medals,  Thorvaldsen's  anger  cooled.  The  benevolent  feel- 
ings so  natural  to  him  resumed  their  swa}',  and  he  himself 
took  steps  to  stop  the  prosecvition,  not  wishing  to  ruin  the 
culprit.  A  short  time  afterward,  a  small  bag  was  thrown 
into  his  room  through  the  window,  which  contained  a  part 
of  the  stolen  property.  The  author  of  the  theft  disappeared 
from  Rome.  Every  possible  search  was  made  among  the 
dealers  for  the  articles  which  had  not  been  restored,  but 
without  success.  Thorvaldsen  felt  the  more  regret,  as  a 
number  of  the  pieces  thus  lost  belonged  to  his  friend.  Pro- 
fessor Brondsted,  who  had  left  them  in  his  care. 

This  incident,  unimportant  in  itself,  had  an  unfortunate 
effect  on  the  mind  of  the  artist,  inspiring  him,  as  we  shall 
hereafter  see,  with  an  exaggerated  distrust  of  his  fellow- 
men. 

Called  to  Munich  by  a  desire  to  superintend  in  person  the 
final  arrangements  for  the  erection  of  the  monument  of  the 
Duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  previous  to  its  inauguration,  Thor- 
valdsen left  Rome,  Jan.  22,  1830,  in  compan}'  with  Count 
Vash,  Prussian  ambassador  at  the  court  of  Naples,  and 
arrived  on  the  14th  of  February  following  in  the  Bavarian 
capital.  Notwithstanding  the  changes  of  detail  which  the 
artist  had  ventured  to  make  in  the  original  design,  the 
duchess  was  so  well  satisfied  with  the  work  that  she  had 
already  had  it  lithographed,  with  the  intention  of  giving  a 
copy  to  each  member  of  her  famih^ 

Scarcely  had  he  arrived,  when  the  artist  presented  him- 
self at  the  palace.  Although  the  king  was  ill  and  had  kept 
his  bed  for  several  days,  Thorvaldsen  was  conducted  with- 
out delay  to  the  royal  bed-chamber,  with  the  intention  of 
giving  his  majesty  a  surprise.      Am  I  not  dreaming  !  "  he 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


113 


cried,  OQ  seeing  him.  "Am  I  really  awake !  Thorvaldseu 
in  Munich ! "  Great  was  the  rejoicing ;  and  for  several 
weeks,  both  at  court  and  in  the  town,  there  were  constant 
festivities  in  honor  of  the  unexpected  guest. 

The  inauguration  of  the  mausoleum  of  the  Duke  of  Leuch- 
tenberg  was  to  have  taken  place  on  the  20th  of  February, 
the  eve  of  the  anniversary  of  the  prince's  death. ^  But  the 
sculptor,  having  found  it  necessary  to  make  some  changes  in 
the  architectual  part  of  the  work,  in  order  that  the  monu- 
ment might  be  seen  to  better  advantage  in  its  place  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Michael,  begged  that  the  ceremony  might  be 
delayed.  It  was  accordingl}^  postponed  to  the  12th  of 
March. 

As  soon  as  the  mausoleum  was  exposed  to  view,  it  became 
the  mark  for  some  unfriendly  criticisms :  upon  the  whole, 
however,  it  was  far  more  admired  than  censured.  No  im- 
partial critic  can  deu}^  the  beauty  of  the  statue,  nor  the 
remarkable  execution  of  the  marble  group  of  the  two  genii 
which  Thorvaldseu  had  finished  with  his  own  hand. 

Shortly  after  the  revolution  of  1830,  the  author  of  the 
"  Triumph  of  Alexander,"  and  the  monument  of  Prince 
Eugene  Beauharnais,  received  an  honor  more  flattering  than 
any  which  it  has  been  our  pleasant  duty  to  record.  The 
French  ambassador  at  Rome  announced  to  him  (May  1,  1831) 
that  he  had  been  made  an  officer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
"  This  mark  of  distinction,"  he  writes  to  the  sculptor,  "  is  no 
more  than  justly  due  to  the  genius  whose  chisel  has  repro- 
duced for  us,  among  so  many  master-pieces,  the  triumph  of 
the  greatest  conqueror  of  whom  history  makes  mention,  and 
the  features  of  a  famous  soldier  whom  France,  in  the  day  of 
her  adversity,  had  no  sooner  adopted  as  her  son,  than  she 
was  called  upon  to  mourn  his  loss.  This  statue  of  the  hero 
will  serve  as  a  palladium  to  the  cit}',  of  which  it  is  the  most 

1  Michaud  says  that  Prince  Eugene  died  on  the  26th  of  February.  It  is  a  mistake 
See  in  the  Catalogue  the  inscription  on  the  mausoleum. 

8 


114 


LIFE  OF  THORVALBSEN. 


noble  ornament ;  and  your  name,  emerging  from  the  sphere 
to  which  you  vainly  seek  to  confine  it,  will  be  associated 
with  those  noble  deeds  which  thrill  all  hearts  to-day,  and 
keep  the  whole  world  suspended  between  admiration  and 
fear." 

It  must  have  been  about  the  time  of  his  journey  to  Ba- 
varia that  Thorvaldsen  had,  at  Florence,  a  singular  inter- 
view with  Bartolini.  He  had  long  been  personall}'  acquainted 
with  the  famous  Italian  sculptor,  whose  life  was  a  constant 
and  terrible  struggle,  first  with  poverty  until  his  fine  talent 
was  at  last  recognized,  and  a  struggle  not  less  obstinate  with 
incessant  persecutions  instigated  by  envy  after  he  had  gained 
for  himself  a  high  position  in  art.  Lorenzo  Bartolini  was, 
moreover,  not  of  a  temper  to  shun  the  combat :  his  inde- 
pendent spirit  refused  to  stoop  to  the  arts  of  pleasing,  and 
his  character  took  a  coloring  from  the  almost  belligerent 
habits  into  which  he  seemed  to  be  forced  by  circumstances. 

He  had  heard  that  Thorvaldsen  was  in  Florence,  and  he 
expected  to  receive  one  of  his  earliest  visits.  The  Danish 
artist,  however,  having  for  several  daj^s  neglected  to  present 
himself  at  the  atelier  of  Bartolini,  the  Italian  regarded  the 
delay  as  a  mark  of  indifference,  and  a  failing  in  the  courtesy 
one  great  artist  owes  to  another.  He  was  so  much  hurt  by 
it  that  he  enjoined  upon  his  pupils,  in  case  Thorvaldsen 
should  finally  make  his  appearance,  to  tell  him  that  he  was 
not  at  home.  He  did  come  at  last,  and  was  told  that  the 
master  was  absent.  He  insisted,  and  gave  his  name :  the 
reply  was  the  same.  "  But  it  is  impossible  for  Signor  Bar- 
tolini not  to  be  at  home  to  me  I  Be  kind  enough  to  tell 
him  that  it  is  the  Chevalier  Thorvaldsen  who  wishes  to  see 
him." 

Bartolini  was  keeping  aloof  in  a  small  atelier  at  the  end  of 
the  large  room  in  which  his  pupils  were  working,  and  over- 
heard the  colloquy.  Irritated  b}^  the  persistence  of  one  with 
whom  he  thought  he  had  reason  to  be  offended,  he  half 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


115 


opened  the  door,  and,  thrusting  out  his  head,  "  No,  sir,  I  am 
not  at  home  to  you ! "  he  cried  out,  and  shut  the  door. 

Thorvaldsen,  who  was  used  to  being  everywhere  received 
with  the  greatest  respect  and  attention,  retired,  stupefied 
at  this  strange  behavior,  which  seemed  to  him  a  piece  of 
inexplicable  eccentricity,  the  cause  of  which  he  probably 
never  knew. 


CUPID  REVIVING  THE  FAINTING  PSYCHE. 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEJSr. 


117 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Horace  Vernet.  —  Mendelssohn.  —  Troubles  in  Rome.  —  Atelier  and 
Garden  of  Thorvaldsen.  —  Roman  Society.  —  The  History  of  the 
God  of  Love.  — Byron's  Monument.  —  Walter  Scott.  —  "  The 
Adonis."  —  Statue  of  Maximilian  I.  —  Monuments  of  Gutenberg 
and  Schiller.  — Departure  of  Vernet.  —  Cholera.  —  Thorvaldsen's 
Return  to  Denmark. 


THE  LITTLE  DANCING-GIRL. 


On  the  25th  of  March,  1830, 
Thorvaldsen  arrived  in  Rome  on 
his  return  from  Bavaria.  Events 
which  took  place  shortl}^  after- 
ward in  France  caused  great  ex- 
citement in  Ital}',  and  especially 
in  Rome.  Scarcely  had  the  news 
of  the  revolution  in  Paris  reached 
the  papal  dominions,  when  the 
French  ambassador  quitted  the 
city  and  repaired  to  Naples. 
During  the  first  few  months  fol- 
lowing his  departure,  Horace 
Vernet,  director  of  the  French 
Academy  in  Rome,  and  now  sole 
official  representative  of  France 
at  the  Holy  See,  found  himself 
invested  by  circumstances  with 
diplomatic  functions.  He  acquit- 
ted himself  of  his  delicate  duties 
with  his  well-known  intelligence 


Il8  LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


and  energy,  and  through  him  the  French  interests,  which 
might  have  been  seriously  compromised,  were  protected. 

Horace  Vernet  and  Thorvaldsen  were  great  friends :  the 
one  set  a  high  value  upon  the  talent  of  the  Danish  artist, 
the  other  professed  a  passionate  admiration  for  the  painter ; 
and  we  do  not  doubt  that  the  conduct  of  Vernet  at  this  time 
contributed  to  increase  still  more  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
sculptor.  Notwithstanding  that  they  were  nqyj  unlike  in 
temperament,  these  two  great  artists  maintained  a  lifelong 
friendship,  based  upon  reciprocal  esteem. 

The  situation  was  a  very  difficult  one  for  Horace  Vernet. ^ 
The  new  ideas  had  penetrated  into  the  pontifical  States,  and 
there  were  found  people  prejudiced  enough  to  wish  to  make 
the  French  residents  in  Rome  responsible  for  their  diffusion. 
Pamphlets  the  most  hostile  were  freel}^  circulated,  and  anony- 
mous letters  poured  in  upon  the  director  of  the  Academj^ 
He  was  not  the  man  to  be  intimidated  by  such  thi-eats :  in 
the  name  of  France,  he  called  upon  Cardinal  Albani  to  put 
a  stop  to  these  annoyances. 

The  composer,  Felix  Mendelssohn,  to  whose  charming 
genius  we  owe  so  many  sweet  melodies,  was  then  in  Rome. 
One  of  his  letters,  dated  March  1st,  1831,  shows  that  this 
state  of  agitation  continued  for  a  considerable  time. 

"  The  most  to  be  pitied  in  the  present  state  of  affairs,"  he 
says,  "  are  the  ladies  Vernet,  who  are  in  a  very  unpleasant 
position.  Singularly  enough,  the  hatred  of  the  whole  popu- 
lation is  directed  toward  the  students  of  the  French  school 
of  art :  it  is  pretended  that  thej^  alone  could  easily  bring 
about  a  revolution.  Horace  Vernet  has  received  a  number 
of  threatening  anonymous  letters.  Lately  he  even  found,  sta- 
tioned in  front  of  his  atelier,  an  armed  Transteverino,  who 
took  to  flight  on  seeing  him  go  after  his  gun  ;  and,  as  these 

1  See  the  interesting  publication  of  M.  A.  Durande  upon  Joseph,  Charles,  and 
Horace  Vernet.   Paris,  Hetzel. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN.  HQ 


ladies  are  now  entirely  alone  at  the  villa,  the  situation  is  the 
more  painful  for  the  famil3\" 

Though  the  French  were  more  specially  threatened,  all 
strangers  in  Rome  were  uneas}^ ;  and  the  most  alarming 
reports  were  circulated. ^  Thorvaldsen,  whose  success  had 
raised  up  for  him  many  enemies,  naturally  had,  more  than 
any  one  else,  serious  reasons  for  alarm :  so  thought  the 
young  Danish  artists,  who  proposed  to  form  a  guard  to  pro- 
tect his  works  and  his  collections.  He  at  first  welcomed 
this  mark  of  devotion  on  the  part  of  his  countrymen ;  but, 
when  the  troubles  seemed  to  grow  more  serious,  he  would 
no  longer  accept  it.  "  It  would  be  paying  too  dear,"  he  said, 
"  for  my  own  protection  or  that  of  my  statues,  to  expose  one 
of  you  to  being  killed.  If  they  want  only  my  money,  well 
and  good, — I  will  tr}"  to  earn  more;  if  it  is  my  life,  let 
them  take  that  too.  Must  I  not  give  it  up  some  time  or 
other  ?  " 

In  spite  of  the  firmness  of  this  language,  Thorvaldsen  was 
of  too  pacific  a  temper  to  relish  such  a  life  of  excitement. 
He  no  longer  felt  at  home  in  Rome,  and  thought  seriously 
of  changing  his  place  of  residence :  so  it  would  appear,  at 
least,  from  some  letters  found  among  his  papers,  in  which  his 
friends  endeavor  to  persuade  him  to  leave  Rome  and  go  to 

1  Thorvaldsen  had  his  share  of  trouble  in  these  agitations.  One  day  he  was 
surprised  by  a  call  from  the  executor  of  Cardinal  Consalvi's  will,  who  begged 
him  to  receive  directly  the  12,000  crowns  still  due  to  him  for  the  monument  of 
Pius  VII.  The  sculptor  replied  that,  the  work  not  being  wholly  finished,  the 
time  for  payment  had  not  come ;  but  the  gentleman  insisted,  and  urged  him  to 
get  without  any  more  delay  into  the  carriage  waiting  for  him  at  the  door.  The 
city  was  in  a  turmoil,  and  the  directors  of  the  Monte  di  Pieta  feared  an  attack 
upon  the  bank,  known  to  hold  the  deposit  of  Cardinal  Consalvi :  they  wanted  the 
artist  either  to  draw  out  the  1'2,000  crowns  immediately,  or  leave  them  there  at 
his  own  risk.  He  chose  the  first  alternative,  but  felt  afterward  very  uneasy 
with  his  bags  of  money  in  the  carriage.  At  Torlonia's,  where  he  wanted  to  get 
them  to  receive  the  money  on  deposit,  the  greatest  agitation  prevailed :  the  court 
was  filled  with  gendarmes ,  an  attack  was  expected  at  any  moment,  and  he  was 
dismissed  without  ceremony  by  the  clerks.  Thanks,  however,  to  the'  obliging 
interference  of  Madame  Torlonia,  he  was  relieved  of  his  inconvenient  burden. 
(Thiole.) 


120 


LIFE  OF  TH0RVALD8EN. 


Marseilles,  and  thence  by  way  of  Paris  to  London,  where 
they  would  join  him. 

Some  intimation  of  this  project  seems  to  have  reached 
Bavaria ;  for  King  Louis  tried  to  persuade  him  to  come  to 
Munich,  offering  to  make  him  professor  in  the  Academy 
of  that  city,  and  Counsellor  of  State  on  extraordinary  ser- 
vice. 

These  entreaties  did  not,  however,  induce  the  artist  to 
take  any  decided  step.  The  political  excitement  having 
subsided,  the  round  of  social  entertainments  was  resumed 
with  more  ardor  than  ever.  Thorvaldsen  had  always  been 
fond  of  going  to  evening  parties,  where  the  chief  attraction 
for  him  was  the  pleasure  of  meeting  pretty  and  elegant 
women,  of  whom  it  seems  there  were  many  in  Rome  at  that 
time. 

Roman  society  was  wholly  captivated  by  Horace  Vernet, 
whose  directorship  is  still  remembered  as  a  marked  epoch 
in  the  annals  of  the  French  Academy.  Mendelssohn,  too, 
the  young  and  ardent  musician,  intimate  with  both  the  il- 
lustrious masters,  was  at  every  entertainment ;  and  it  was 
at  one  of  these  parties  that  he  met  them  both  for  the  first 
time. 

"  At  my  first  ball  at  Torlonia's,"  he  writes,  "  not  knowing 
any  lady,  I  stood  looking  on,  watching  the  crowd,  and  not 
dancing.  Suddenl}^  I  felt  some  one  clap  me  on  the  shoulder, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  strange  voice  said  to  me :  '  So  you 
too  are  admiring  the  beautiful  English  girl  ? '  What  was 
my  astonishment,  upon  turning  round,  to  find  myself  face  to 
face  with  the  Counsellor  of  State,  Thorvaldsen,  who,  stand- 
ing at  the  door  of  the  salon^  was  never  tired  of  admiring  this 
lovely  creature.  Scarcely  had  he  asked  me  the  question, 
when  I  heard  loud  talking  behind  us :  '  But  where  is  she, 
this  little  English  girl  ?  My  wife  has  sent  me  to  look  at  her, 
per  Bacco !  *  The  speaker  was  a  wiry  little  Frenchman,  with 
gray,  bristling  hair :  he  had  in  his  button-hole  the  ribbon  of 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


121 


the  Legion  of  Honor.  I  recognized  directly  Horace  Vernet. 
Thorvaldsen  and  he  immediatel}^  began  a  very  serious  and 
learned  conversation  upon  the  subject  of  this  beauty ;  and 
what  charmed  me  above  all  was  to  see  the  young  girl,  so 
much  admired  by  these  two  old  masters, i  who  were  never 
tired  of  looking  at  her,  go  on  dancing  with  the  most  adorable 
innocence  and  unconsciousness.  Thorvaldsen  and  Vernet 
requested  an  introduction  to  her  parents,  and  troubled  them- 
selves no  more  about  me,  so  I  could  have  no  further  talk 
with  them  that  evening.  Several  da3^s  afterward,  however, 
I  was  invited  to  the  house  of  the  kind  English  people  I  met 
In  Venice,  who  wished,  they  said,  to  present  me  to  some  of 
their  friends.  Now  these  friends  were  no  other  than  Vernet 
and  Thorvaldsen.    I  was  enchanted." 

The  two  masters,  who  met  every  evening  in  societ}^,  often 
visited  each  other  also  in  their  ateliers.  Mendelssohn  saw 
them  constantly.  He  thus  describes  the  painter's  studio : 
"Apong  alleys  of  evergreens,  now  in  blossom,  exhaling  a  deli- 
cious perfume,  in  the  midst  of  the  shrubbery  of  the  Medici 
garden,  is  a  small  house,  from  which  invariably  issues  some 
noise  which  is  heard  from  afar,  —  shouting,  or  quarreling, 
or  maybe  an  air  played  on  the  trumpet,  or  the  barking  of 
dogs, — that  is  the  studio.  The  most  admirable  disorder  reigns 
throughout.  Guns,  a  hunting  horn,  a  monkey,  palettes,  a 
brace  of  dead  hares  or  rabbits  ;  everywhere  pictures  finished 
or  half  finished ;  the  '  Investiture  of  the  Tri-colored  Cock- 
ade ' ;  portraits  begun  of  Thorvaldsen,  E3'nard,  Latour-Mau- 
bourg ;  studies  of  horses,  the  first  sketch  and  studies  for  the 
Judith,  the  portrait  of  the  Pope,  heads  of  Moors,  pifferari, 
papal  soldiers,  my  unworthy  self,  Cain  and  Abel,  and  last 
of  all  the  interior  of  the  studio  itself,  —  all  hanging  on  the 
walls." 

1  Mendelssohn  speaks  as  a  young  man  when  he  calls  Vernet  and  Thorvaldsen  "  these 
two  old  masters."  The  painter,  in  fact,  was  hardly  forty  years  old ;  and  the  sculptor; 
not  yet  sixty,  was  in  his  prime. 


122 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


At  the  foot  of  the  terraces  of  the  Palace  Barberini,  we 
breathe  a  quieter  atmosphere.  How  many  visitors  from  all 
countries  have  wandered  in  turn  through  these  ateliers  of 
the  sculptor,  have  strolled  through  that  little  garden,  fragrant 
with  the  sweet  scent  of  oleanders,  under  that  green  arbor, 
contrasting  with  the  dark  tint  of  the  great  flower-pots  ;  while 
tame  tortoises  crawled  peacefull}^  along  the  paths  and  flower- 
beds ! 

" Thorvaldsen,"  writes  a  visitor,  "lives  in  Rome  in  the 
Palazzo  Tomati,  Via  Sistina,  on  the  Pincian  Hill.  The  first 
stor}"  is  devoted  to  his  private  apartments.  The  atelier  is 
higher :  jow  reach  it  by  a  narrow  staircase.  When  you 
knock  at  the  door,  the  great  sculptor,  like  Poussin,  opens  it 
himself.  The  furniture  of  the  apartment  is  simple  and  prim- 
itive, but  a  multitude  of  fine  paintings  ornament  the  walls. 
Here  are  bookcases  filled  with  books,  rare  vases,  collec- 
tions of  medals,  and  gems.  All  around  are  fine  engravings, 
sketches,  portraits  of  princes  and  artists.  In  front  of  the 
house  is  a  garden,  which  can  be  reached  from  the  atelier, 
and  where  aloes,  wild  roses,  and  other  flowers  straggle  over 
blocks  of  marble.  Thorvaldsen  is  remarkable  for  his  great 
activit}',  for  the  close  attention  he  gives  to  ever3^thing  upon 
which  he  is  engaged.  You  follow  the  idea  in  his  work  with 
extreme  ease.  His  conversation,  when  he  is  only  executing, 
not  planning,  is  easy,  sprightly,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of 
thought  and  shrewdness.  No  one  among  the  artists  takes  a 
more  devoted  interest  in  zealous  j'oung  beginners.  Of  the 
men  who  have  earned  their  right  of  citizenship  in  the  artistic 
world,  he  is  one  of  the  greatest.  Art  has  given  him  the 
highest  rank,  a  rank  which  no  one  can  ignore,  even  in  Ger- 
many, that  country  of  hereditarj^  titles.  His  is  incontestably 
a  mind  of  the  first  order.  To  a  remarkable  energ}',  he  joins 
that  easy  facility  which  seems  only  to  belong  to  graceful 
talent.    He  ends  his  life,  commenced  in  hardships  among 


LIFE  OF  THORVALBSEN. 


123 


peasants,  in  the  first  ranks  of  society,  where  he  inspires  as 
much  interest  as  veneration."  ^ 

The  sculptor  was  often  seen  in  his  garden,  walking  with  a 
slow  step  and  dreamy  air,  and  moulding  in  his  hands  a  bit  of 
clay :  at  the  first  glance,  he  might  be  taken  for  an  idle  man. 
But  what  activity  under  this  apparent  calm  !  and  how  finely 
organized  that  brain  which  could,  without  efibrt,  carry  on  at 
the  same  time  so  many  and  such  various  works,  profane  or 
sacred,  light  or  severe  ! 

The  hardest  task  for  the  artist  was  his  correspondence  :  it 
was  a  great  efibrt  for  him  to  write  ;  and  he  finally  fell  into  a 
phlegmatic  habit  in  regard  to  it,  from  which  he  seldom,  if 
ever,  departed.  When  he  suspected  a  letter  of  containing  a 
disagreeable  request,  he  would  refrain  from  opening  it,  and 
allow  his  correspondence  to  accumulate  for  months,  until 
some  friend  kindly  undertook  to  look  it  over  and  reply  for 
him.2 

1  M.  Fayot,  in  the  journal  "L'Artiste." 

2  Generally  Thorvaldsen  did  no  more  than  sign  his  letters.  Excepting  his  Danish 
correspondence,  most  of  the  letters  in  other  languages,  French,  German,  Italian, 
have  but  little  interest  except  as  autographs  :  we  shall  limit  ourselves  therefore  to 
giving  two  of  these  signatures. 


These  autographs  have  a  firmness,  especially  the  first,  which  is  sculptural  in  char- 
acter. In  one,  he  retains  the  familiar  name  of  Bertel;  in  the  other,  he  translates  it 
into  Italian.  Thorvaldsen  never  destroyed  the  letters  he  received,  writing  on  the 
backs  of  them  the  rough  draft  of  his  reply,  when,  as  a  rare  thing  lie  answered  them 


124 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Thorvaldsen  was  passionately  fond  of  music,  and  plaj^ed 
the  guitar  like  a  true  virtuoso.  "  M}"  character  as  a  pianist," 
writes  Mendelssohn,  "  procures  me  here  a  peculiar  pleasure. 
You  know  how  much  Thorvaldsen  loves  music.  He  has  in 
his  atelier  an  excellent  instrument,  and  in  the  morning  I 
play  something  to  him  from  time  to  time  while  he  works. 
When  I  see  the  old  artist  mould  his  brown  claj^,  give  with  a 
hand  firm  and  delicate  the  last  touch  to  an  arm  or  a  drapery, 
when  I  see  him  creating  these  imperishable  works  which  will 
command  the  admiration  of  posterity,  I  feel  myself  happy 
in  being  able  to  give  him  pleasure." 

At  this  period  he  had  much  to  do  with  the  god  of  Love. 
After  having  represented  him  as  the  conqueror  of  the  uni- 
verse in  the  four  bas-reliefs  of  which  we  have  already  spoken, 
he  undertook  a  series  of  compositions  illustrating  the  his- 
tory of  the  son  of  Venus,  a  history  rich  in  incident  and  more 
varied  than  any  of  the  ancient  fables.  It  was  to  him,  how- 
ever, only  a  recreation.  "  I  am  going  to  busy  myself  about 
Cupid's  little  affairs,"  he  used  to  say.  "  The  mischievous  boy 
pulls  me  by  the  sleeve :  I  must  give  it  a  shake  to  get  rid  of 
him  " 

He  was  not,  however,  erudite  enough  to  find  for  himself  all 
the  subjects  that  he  represented,  of  which  the  greater  part 
are  taken  from  the  less  known  portions  of  the  Greek  anthol- 
ogy. He  was  aided  in  this  undertaking  by  a  friend,  a  learned 
poet  (more  scholar  than  poet)  named  llicci,  who  lived  at 
Rieti,  near  Rome.  Ricci  having  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
his  wife,  the  artist  volunteered  to  compose  a  monument  for 
her  tomb  in  the  church  at  Rieti.  The  poet  was  extremely 
grateful,  and  the  kindly  relations  between  the  two  friends 
became  still  closer.  Devoting  himself  to  studies  which 
were  quite  to  his  taste,  Ricci  furnished  the  sculptor  with  the 

himself.  He  also  covered  the  blank  portions  with  sketches  and  plans.  Ilerr  Thiele 
found  all  these  scraps,  such  precious  material  to  the  biographer,  in  a  cellar  of  tho 
Palace  Tomati  in  Kome,  buried  under  a  heap  of  rubbish. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


125 


subjects  of  his  bas-reliefs  in  Italian  verse.  He  even  proposed 
having  Thorvaldsen's  compositions  engraved,  to  illustrate  a 
history  of  Love,  to  be  written  by  himself  in  imitation  of  the 
old  poets. 

The  artist  took  much  pleasure  in  this  pastime,  and  the 
suggestions  of  Ricci  were  carried  out  with  such  astonishing 
rapidity  that  these  illustrations  of  the  exploits  of  the  son  of 
Venus  soon  grew  into  a  sort  of  poem  in  bas-relief. ^ 

The  bust  of  Lord  Byron,  modelled  by  Thorvaldsen  in  1817, 
had  been  well  received  in  England.  Several  years  after  the 
poet's  death  at  Missolonghi,  his  fellow-countrj^men  proposed 
to  erect  a  monument  to  his  memor}',  and  the  committee 
formed  for  the  purpose  determined  to  appl}"  to  the  same 
artist.  Like  all  liberal  thinkers  of  the  day,  Thorvaldsen  was 
a  philhellenist,  and  therefore  willingl}"  engaged  to  execute 
the  work.  Byron,  for  whom  personally  he  had  had  but  little 
sj^mpath}',  he  now  thought  of  only  as  one  of  the  heroes  of 
Greek  independence. 

Sir  John  Hobhouse,  chairman  of  the  committee,  wrote,  on 
the  22d  of  May,  1829,  to  beg  the  artist  to  undertake  the  work, 
offering  him,  at  the  same  time,  the  sum  of  one  thousand 
pounds  sterling.  The  English  are  very  generous  when  they 
have  a  monument  to  erect  to  one  of  their  distinguished  men. 
But  Thorvaldsen  on  his  part  always  cared  more  for  the  honor 
than  for  the  profit  he  might  derive  fi-om  his  works.  Though 
he  earned  a  great  deal  of  money,  he  lived  frugally  because  his 
habits  were  simple,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was  very  lib- 
eral in  matters  of  business.  Of  this  it  would  be  easy  to  give 
numerous  proofs. 

1  All  these  little  subjects  were  moulded  and  cast  in  September,  1831.  Thorvaldsen 
continued  the  series  the  following  year;  and  Ricci  published  a  volume  called  ''  Anac- 
reonte  Novissimo  del  Commcndatore  Alberto  Thorvaldsen  in  XXX.  Bassorilievi 
Anacreontici,  tradotti  dal  Angelo  Maria  IJicci,  Koma,  1832,  8°."  This  work,  dedica- 
ted to  the  sculptor,  and  containing  thirty  plates  engraved  in  outline  after  the  bas- 
reliefs,  seems  to  have  had  some  success.  Ricci  had  already  published  in  1828  a  collec- 
tion of  poems  under  the  title  "  L'Anacreonte  di  Thorvaldsen  " 


126 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN, 


The  sculptor  accordingly  replied  that  the  price  proposed 
would  suffice  not  only  for  a  statue,  but  also  for  a  bas-relief, 
to  be  placed  upon  the  pedestal.  The  committee  left  the 
design  of  the  monument  entirely  to  him,  asking  only  for  a 
drawing,  to  be  submitted  to  the  subscribers,  and  suggest- 
ing that  it  would  be  easier  to  conceal  the  lameness  of  the 
illustrious  deceased  if  he  were  represented  in  a  sitting 
posture. 

The  sketch  was  finished  in  1830,  and  the  next  year  the  first 
model  in  plaster ;  but  quite  important  changes  have  been 
made  in  the  marble,  which  represents  Byron  seated  on  a 
broken  Greek  column,  holding  in  one  hand  a  pen,  in  the 
other  the  poem  of  "  Childe  Harold." 

The  bas-relief,  representing  the  Genius  of  Poesy,  was  fin- 
ished at  the  same  time,  though  the  marbles  were  not  ready 
to  be  sent  to  London  until  April,  1835.  Before  it  was  put 
up,  the  monument  was  subjected  to  many  vicissitudes.  The 
committee  first  proposed  to  place  it  in  Westminster  Abbey, 
or  St.  Paul's  ;  then  in  the  British  Museum ;  in  the  National 
Gallery ;  and  finally  in  Kensal  Green  Cemeter3^  But  the 
Anglican  clergy,  who  are  not  remarkable  for  their  tolerance, 
were  more  hostile  than  the  Romish  clergy  had  been  in  re- 
gard to  the  mausoleum  of  Pius  VII.  They  were  displeased 
that  a  poet  who  was  in  their  eyes  immoral  and  impious 
should  be  thus  honored.  Ten  years  passed  away  and  the 
monument  had  not  yet  found  a  place,  when  in  1845  Trin- 
ity College,  Cambridge,  Byron's  Alma  Mater,  offered  to  re- 
ceive it.  The  marbles,  not  without  difficulty,  were  discovered 
in  one  of  the  vaults  of  the  London  custom-house ;  and  the 
monument  was  finally  placed  where  it  now  stands,  in  the 
college  library. 

In  1831,  Thorvaldsen  received  a  visit  from  another  repre- 
sentative of  English  literature.  Sir  Walter  Scott.  It  is  re- 
ported of  this  celebrated  historical  novelist,  that  he  did  not 
manifest  much  interest  while  at  Rome  in  works  of  art,  since 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr, 


127 


he  did  not  even  go  to  see  the  Vatican :  we  mention  this 
with  reservation,  as  an  assertion  to  which  we  can  scarcely 
give  credit.  At  all  events  the  author  desired  to  be  presented 
to  the  sculptor.  Walter  Scott,  well  versed  as  he  was  in  the 
tongues  of  the  North,  could  only  speak  his  own ;  and  as  to 
Thorvaldsen,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  follow  a  conversa- 
tion in  English.  A  person  present  at  their  interview  has  re- 
corded the  particulars. 1  These  two  illustrious  men  accosted 
each  other  with  touching  cordiality  ;  but  their  conversation, 
as  may  be  suspected,  was  strangely  fragmentar}',  consisting 
only  of  interjections  and  monos3^11ables.  Meanwhile  one 
could  hear  coming  from  each  the  words :  conoscenza  — 
charme,  plaisir  —  happy —  connaissance — piacere  —  de- 
lighted —  heureux.  Very  concise  language ;  but  the  two 
new  friends  were  so  pleased,  that  they  seemed  to  understand 
each  other  wonderfully.  They  shook  hands  with  the  greatest 
friendliness,  they  clapped  each  other  on  the  shoulder,  and 
when  they  parted  followed  each  other  with  their  eyes,  mak- 
ing all  the  while  the  most  demonstrative  gestures. 

Whatever  was  frank,  open,  and  natural  delighted  Thor- 
valdsen. The  simplicity  of  his  nature  could  not  accommo- 
date itself  to  the  strangeness  of  Byron's :  he  could  make 
nothing  of  his  exaggerated  melancholy.  Walter  Scott,  on 
the  contrary,  pleased  him  at  first  sight :  he  understood  him 
at  once.  During  the  great  novelist's  stay  in  Rome  he  mod- 
elled his  bust. 

While  welcoming  with  the  greatest  cordiality  his  favorite 
artist  in  Munich,  the  King  of  Bavaria  nevertheless  had  not 
failed  to  reproach  Thorvaldsen  for  the  little  zeal  he  had 
shown  in  the  finishing  of  the  "Adonis."  On  his  return  to 
Eome,  Thorvaldsen,  mindful  of  the  complaints  of  the  sov- 
ereign, resumed  the  work  with  considerable  ardor.  Con- 
noisseurs who  were  regarding  the  marble  as  almost  finished, 
and  admiring  its  careful  execution,  were  therefore  much  sur- 

*  M.  Kestner,  Etudes  Komaiues. 


128 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


prised  to  see  the  sculptor  subjecting  it  suddenly  to  a  radical 
change  ;  for,  in  spite  of  the  praises  lavished  upon  this  statue, 
he  was  only  half  satisfied,  and  considered  it  not  3^et  fit  to  leave 
his  hands.  He  therefore  retouched  it  with  a  boldness  which 
alarmed  those  who  saw  him  bus}^  with  it.  The  troubles  in 
Rome  interrupted  the  work  for  a  time  ;  and  it  was  not  until 
October,  1831,  that  the  artist  announced  to  his  royal  friend 
that  it  was  completely  finished.  King  Louis  was  loud  in 
his  rejoicings  over  the  good  news,  and  again  urged  Thor- 
valdsen  to  accept  the  position  of  professor  in  the  Academy 
of  Munich.  He  also  inquired  how  far  the  statue  of  Maxi- 
milian I,  of  Bavaria,  which  he  had  more  recently  ordered, 
had  progressed.  1 

The  model  of  this  equestrian  statue,  twice  the  natural  size, 
was  not  finished  until  1836  :  it  was  sent  to  Bavaria  the  same 
year,  and  was  exhibited  at  the  royal  founder}-.  The  statue 
and  the  horse  were  cast  iu  one  piece  the  following  year  by 
Stiglmaier^  so  successfully  that  it  was  scarcel}^  necessary  to 
finish  it  with  the  chisel.  In  1839,  the  monument  of  the 
ancestor  of  King  Louis  was  solemnly  inaugurated  in  Wit- 
telsbachplatz,  at  Munich.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
equestrian  statues  of  modern  times.  The  elector  is  repre- 
sented armed  cap-d-pie  in  the  costume  he  wore  at  the  time 
of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  Thorvaldsen,  who  did  not  con- 
sider a  monument  complete  without  bas-reliefs  on  the  pedes- 
tal, had  modelled  two  compositions  for  the  two  sides  ;  but, 
as  soon  as  the  king  learned  what  he  had  done,  he  wrote  to 

1  King  Louis  gave  him  this  order,  Feb.  15,  1830,  the  day  after  the  artist  arrived  in 
Munich,  as  a  testimony  of  the  satisfaction  his  visit  afforded  him. 

2  stiglraaier  was  the  son  of  a  blacksmith.  King  Louis,  discovering  his  natural 
talent,  sent  him  to  Italy  to  study  the  science  of  casting:  he  afterward  intrusted  him 
with  a  number  of  works.  Stiglmaier  cast  the  colossal  statue  of  Bavaria,  erected  on 
a  hill  near  Munich.  This  statue,  which  is  more  than  sixty  feet  high,  was  cast  from  a 
model  made  by  the  sculptor  Schwanthaler,  the  same  artist  who  was  recommonded 
by  King  Louis  to  Thorvaldsen.  l?tiglmaier  also  cast  the  statue  of  the  King  Maxi- 
milian I,  a  work  by  the  sculptor  Rauch.  also  at  Munich,  and  which  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  equestrian  statue  of  the  elector  of  which  we  have  just  spoken. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


1 29 


the  sculptor  that  political  considerations  would  not  permit 
him  to  make  use  of  them.^ 

It  was  at  this  period  that  Thorvaldsen  began  the  monu- 
ment to  the  memory  of  Gutenberg,  and  a  little  later  that  of 
Schiller.  He  did  nothing  further,  however,  than  make  minia- 
ture models  of  the  two  works.  The  first  had  been  ordered 
by  the  City  of  Mayence,  in  1832  ;  and  the  statue  was  made 
from  his  drawings  and  small  models  by  his  pupil  Herr 
Bissen,  a  Danish  sculptor  of  true  talent,  who  has  since  exe- 
cuted some  fine  works  for  his  country.  The  inventor  of 
printing  is  represented  in  the  dress  of  an  old  German  crafts- 
man of  the  Middle  Ages,  holding  in  his  right  hand  movable 
types,  and  in  his  left  the  Latin  Bible,  the  first  printed  book. 
One  of  the  bas-reliefs  illustrates  the  invention  of  the  printing- 
press  ;  the  other,  that  of  movable  tj^pes :  Gutenberg  figures 
in  it  in  company  with  his  collaborator,  Faust. 

All  the  work  was  cast  in  bronze  at  Paris,  b}^  M.  Crozatier, 
in  1836  ;  and  the  monument  was  inaugurated  at  Mayence  the 
14th  of  August,  1837.  This  city,  to  thank  Thorvaldsen,  who 
would  not  accept  any  remuneration  for  his  models,  made  him 
an  honorary  citizen. 

The  artist  took  also  a  collaborator  in  the  execution  of 
the  Schiller^  monument,  intended  for  Stuttgart,  where  it 
was  inaugurated  with  great  ceremony  the  8th  of  May,  1839. 

Though  Thorvaldsen  had  several  times  manifested  a  de- 
sire to  leave  Home,  where  political  agitations  disturbed  his 
peace  of  mind,  he  had  not  had  the  leisure  to  arrange  his 
plans.    All  his  time  was  taken  up  by  important  works.  He 

1  The  two  models  were  put  aside,  and  are  now  in  the  Museum  at  Copenhagen.  See 
description  in  Catalogue. 

2  He  engaged  to  compose  the  sketches,  and  only  asked  for  this  work  the  repay- 
ment of  his  expenses.  One  of  his  pupils,  M.  Matthiae,  executed  the  monument 
The  sketches,  sent  to  Stuttgart  in  1835,  were  approved;  and  the  plasters  were  then 
cast  according  to  agreement.  The  models  were  forwarded  from  Rome  to  Munich, 
to  be  cast  in  bronze  by  Stiglmaier:  they  were  left  for  some  time  on  view  at  the 
Royal  Foundery,  and  were  visited  by  a  great  number  of  amateurs,  while  the  bronzes 
were  sent  to  Stuttgart. 


I30 


LIFE  OF  TUOBVALDSEN. 


was  also  retained  in  Rome  by  the  attraction  of  a  most  choice 
society,  of  which  Horace  Vernet  was  the  life.  Unfortunately 
for  the  sculptor,  the  director  of  the  French  Academy  was 
soon  to  leave  Rome.  Before  his  departure,  Vernet,  whose 
bust  Thorvaldsen  had  modelled  in  1833,  finished  his  friend's 
portrait.  This  portrait,  painted  with  a  vigorous  and  discern- 
ing pencil,  renders  the  features  and  character  of  the  master 
with  great  truthfulness. ^ 

Vernet  was  too  popular  in  Rome  for  his  departure  not  to 
be  regarded  as  an  important  event,  and  an  occasion  for  sin- 
cere regret.  As  he  was  to  sail  in  the  month  of  February, 
the  artists  of  ever}^  nationality  among  whom  he  had  lived 
for  several  years  gave  a  farewell  banquet  in  his  honor  at  the 
Palace  Ruspoli,  of  which  we  find  some  interesting  particu- 
lars in  a  letter  dated  from  Rome  and  published  by  Herr 
Thick :  — 

"  It  is  very  singular  that,  no  matter  at  what  assembly  Thorvaldsen 
may  be,  or  who  the  person  is  for  whom  the  fete  is  given,  there  always 
comes  a  time  when  the  festivities  seem  to  be  in  honor  of  him.  So  it 
happened  again  on  this  occasion.  The  company  having  proposed  a 
toast  to  Horace  Vernet,  Thorvaldsen,  who  was  at  his  right,  presented 
him  with  the  crown  of  laurel,  left  until  this  moment  on  the  bust  of  the 
painter.  But  Vernet  would  not  allow  him  to  put  it  on  his  head.  He 
rose,  seized  it,  and  placed  it  on  Thorvaldsen's  brow,  saying,  'It 
belongs  here ! '  At  the  same  time  he  threw  himself  on  the  sculptor's 
neck  and  embraced  him.  This  scene  called  forth  indescribable  enthu- 
siasm, and  the  old  Ruspoli  Palace  shook  to  its  foundations  with  accla- 
mations and  applause." 

The  same  writer  tells  us  that  this  fete  had  its  "  to-morrow." 
The  festivities  took  place  on  a  fast  day  ;  and,  as  it  was  difficult 
to  scrupulous!}^  respect  religious  laws  on  such  an  occasion, 

1  This  portrait  is  in  the  Copenhagen  Museum,  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  first 
floor.  The  engraving  facing  the  title-page  of  this  work  is  taken  from  it.  The  artist 
is  represented  in  his  working-dress :  the  bust  upon  which  he  is  engaged  is  that  of 
Horace  Vernet.  The  painter  thought  at  first  of  representing  his  friend  leaning  upon 
the  Lion  of  Lucerne."  M.  Philippe  Delaroche  Vernet  has  a  sketch  of  this  first 
composition. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


131 


the  organizers  of  the  banquet  took  the  precaution  to  solicit 
beforehand  the  indulgence  of  the  ecclesiastical  authorities. 
Notwithstanding  this,  the  gendarmes  came  the  next  day  to 
arrest  the  landlord  of  the  Palace  Ruspoli  for  having  per- 
mitted his  guests  to  eat  flesh  on  the  eve  of  the  Purification 
of  the  Hol}^  Virgin.  The  culprit  took  refuge  for  a  time  at 
the  Villa  Medici,  which  enjoys  the  right  of  asylum :  the 
affair  was  afterwards  arranged  and  he  escaped  imprisonment, 
but  only  by  the  managers  of  the  fete  paying  for  him  a  fine 
of  a  hundred  Roman  crowns. 

The  departure  of  Horace  Vernet  left  a  void  in  Roman 
society.  No  one  felt  it  more  than  the  sculptor,  who  from 
that  time  thought  more  seriously  of  quitting  Rome.  Not- 
withstanding their  separation,  the  two  artists  always  remained 
the  best  of  friends. 

"  Dear  and  illustrious  colleague,"  wrote  Horace  Vernot  some 
months  afterward,  "I  cannot  allow  a  friend  of  mine  to  start  for 
Rome  without  taking  one  word  of  remembrance  to  you.    I  do  not 

know  whether  M.  ,  to  whom  I  gave  a  similar  commission,  has 

fulfilled  it.  .  .  . 

"I  am  certain  that  you  have  never  for  a  moment  imputed  negli- 
gence to  me.  The  sentiments  of  respect  and  friendship  which  I  have 
for  your  genius,  as  well  as  for  you  personally,  are  a  sure  guaranty  of 
the  inviolability  of  my  attachment  and  of  my  veneration  for  both  one 
and  the  other,  —  to  say  nothing  of  my  gratitude  for  your  kindnesses  to 
me.  It  was  mentioned  in  our  newspapers  that  you  thought  of  making 
a  journey  to  Paris.'  Imagine  my  joy  at  such  news!  I  wrote  you 
then,  as  I  have  told  you  above ;  but  the  time  has  passed,  and  I  very 
much  fear  I  must  renounce  the  hope  of  seeing  you  here.  Adieu, 
dear  and  illustrious  friend !  If  I  can  be  of  any  use,  command  me. 
You  will  know  how  pleased  I  should  be  to  be  able  to  give  you  fresh 
proof  of  my  friendship. ^ 

"  Faithfully  and  affectionately  yours, 

"Horace  Vernet. 

"Paris,  Jan.  8,  1836." 

1  Thorvaldsen  never  went  to  Paris. 

2  After  Thorvaldsen's  death,  the  Baroness  von  Stampe  carried  to  Paris  the  ring  he 
had  bequeathed  to  Horace  Vernet.   The  painter  received  it  from  her  with  deep  and 


132 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


Vernet,  as  we  here  perceive,  felt  for  Thorvaldsen  a  friend- 
ship mingled  with  respect :  the  sculptor  was  more  than  twenty 
3'ears  older  than  he,  and  alread}^  his  long  white  hair  gave 
him  a  venerable  aspect. 

We  are  indebted  to  M.  Philippe  Delaroche  Vernet  for  the 
following  letter,  of  a  later  date,  however,  from  Thorvaldsen 
to  his  grandfather. 

The  sculptor  wrote  French  with  great  difficulty.  We  give 
the  letter,  —  ill-expressed  as  it  is,  and  written  apparently  from 
his  dictation,  —  because  it  shows  that,  when  he  had  the  cause 
of  an  unfortunate  artist  to  plead,  he  could  overcome  his  usual 
indolence  with  regard  to  his  correspondence. 

KOME,  June  9,  1838. 

{In  the  hand  of  Vernet, 
"  Answered  July  3.") 

My  very  Esteemed  Friend,  — 

I  have  been  intending  to  write  you  for  a  long  time  :  it  was  always 
my  hearty  desire ;  but  if  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  so  sooner,  pray 
pardon  me,  because  I  have  been  so  overwhelmed  with  work  I  have 
had  no  leisure  to  write.  I  ought  also  to  tell  you  that  I  have  always 
been  flattering  myself  with  the  hope  of  soon  being  able  to  see  and 
embrace  you.  Unfortunately,  my  affairs  forbid  it,  and  deprive  me  of 
a  pleasure  which  would  have  been  to  me,  of  all  others,  the  most 
delightful. 

How  great  my  satisfaction  would  be,  were  I  able,  upon  leaving 
Kome,  to  make  my  journey  by  way  of  Paris-!  The  admiration  I  should 
feel  at  the  sight  of  the  many  chefs-d'ceuvre  you  have  executed  since 
your  departure  hence  would  give  to  my  soul  the  greatest  happiness ; 
for  you  know,  most  dear  and  tender  friend,  that  for  me  you  are  and 
always  will  be  the  first  painter  of  the  century.  I  shall,  I  think,  soon 
set  out  for  my  native  country  in  a  Danish  frigate  which  the  govern- 
ment has  put  at  my  disposal ;  and,  deprived  as  I  am  of  the  happiness 
of  visiting  you,  I  must  tell  you  that  I  shall  not  fail  to  perform  that 
duty  at  another  time. 

reverent  emotion.  "  He  took  the  ring,''  says  the  baroness,  and  put  it  on  his  finger. 
He  then  held  it  to  his  forehead,  and  bowed  his  head  upon  it  for  a  while,  as  though 
buried  in  memories  of  the  past." 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


133 


It  remains  to  me  now  to  ask  of  you  a  great  favor :  of  which  the 
particulars  are  already  explained  to  you  in  a  letter  from  our  friend 
Eienhart  [and  by  a  postscript  by  M.  Ingres]  that  you  will  receive  at 
the  same  time  with  this. 

A  letter  from  M.  Bartholdi,  received  day  before  yesterday  by  M. 
Ingres,  informs  us  that  he  thinks  of  giving  up  M.  Sievert,  his  relative. 
M.  Ingres  has  despatched  another  to-day  to  M.  Bartholdi,  urging 
him,  in  spite  of  the  reasons  he  has  given  us,  by  no  means  to  abandon 
thus  a  young  man  in  the  midst  of  his  career,  with  a  prospect  before 
him  of  a  fine  success  and  happy  future. 

All  who  know  M.  Sievert  take  a  lively  interest  in  him  from  his  sad 
position.  Then  you  know  what  it  is  to  be  a  stranger  in  Kome,  and 
obliged  to  live  for  six  months  on  credit. 

We  heartily  wish  him  all  possible  success.  Your  good  judgment 
and  grand  imagination  will  be  in  this  grave  matter  of  the  best  service 
to  this  young  man,  and  I  shall  be  eternally  grateful  to  you  for  any 
kindness  you  may  show  to  him. 

Be  so  kind  as  to  favor  me  with  a  word  of  reply,  that  I  may  know 
if  you  enjoy  perfect  health,  and  to  acquaint  me  with  the  result  of  the 
application  made  to  M.  Bartholdi  in  behalf  of  M.  Sievert,  his  relative. 

In  this  hope,  please  accept  my  compliments  and  assurances  of 
respectful  attachment.    I  embrace  you  with  all  my  heart. 

Your  very  devoted  friend, 

Albert  Thorvaldsen. 

P.  S.  I  am  also  looking  forward  with  the  liveliest  interest  for  good 
news  of  your  very  dear  family ;  for  I  have  heard  with  great  pleasure 
that  you  have  already  acquired  the  title  of  grandpapa. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1836,  on  the  31st  of  December, 
the  Academy  of  St.  Luke,  in  Rome,  unanimously  resolved 
that,  to  render  homage  to  the  talent  of  the  illustrious  Danish 
artist,  a  gold  medal  should  be  struck  in  his  honor.  On  this 
occasion  the  president  of  the  Academy  wrote  him  a  most 
flattering  letter.^ 

This  letter  is  as  follows :  — 

Insigne  e  Pontificia  Accademia  Romana  delle  belle  arti, 
denominata  di  S.  Luca.   Li  31  Dicembre,  1836. 

IliLUSTRISSIMO  SiGNORE,  — 

Gli  insigni  meriti  di  V.  S.  lUustrissima  ed  il  favore  che  da  tanto  tempo  corapiacesi 
rendere  alia  Pontificia  Accademia  rilasciando  apieno  suo  uso  1'  intero  onorario  cbe 


134 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


Thorvaldsen  had  alread^^  fully  decided  upon  quitting  Rome 
(1837),  when  the  cholera  broke  out  in  that  cit}'  with  great 
violence.  He  held  no  public  office,  and  consequently  there 
were  no  claims  of  honor  to  keep  him  there  in  presence  of  so 
serious  a  danger,  at  a  time,  too,  when  his  own  country  called 
eagerly  for  his  return.  Therefore,  while  the  Academy  of  St. 
Luke  was  summoning  the  artists  to  take  part  in  a  religious 
procession,  on  the  14th  of  August,  to  the  Church  of  the 
Jesuits,  where  there  was  a  miraculous  image  of  the  Virgin, 
he  yielded  to  the  persuasions  of  several  of  his  fellow-country- 
men, and  left  with  them. 

Meanwhile,  the  travellers  had  not  been  informed  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  small  towns  in  the  vicinity  had  thought  it 
prudent,  in  fear  of  the  plague,  to  establish  a  sort  of  sanitary 
cordon  around  Rome ;  repulsing,  with  arms  in  hand,  all  who 
attempted  to  approach.    In  consequence  of  this  measm-e, 

le  compete  di  cattedratico  di  scultura,  hanno  mosso  la  Congregazione  generale  adu- 
nata  jeri  appresso  la  proposizione  fattane  dalConsiglio  dei  12  del  cadente,  ad  estemar- 
lene  con  alcua  atto  straordinario  la  comune  riconoscenza. 

E  stato  quindi  con  unanime  ripetita  acclamazione  determinato,  Che  sia  coniata  in 
onore  di  V.  S.  Ill™*  una  medaglia  d'  oro,  la  quale  nel  dritto  abbia  V  emblema  accade- 
mico  di  San  Luca,  secondo  lo  stesso  di  Lei  disegno,  e  nel  rovescio  la  seguente  epi- 
grafe  — 

AliBERTO  THORVAIiDSEN 
SCDIiPTORI.    CEIiEBERRIMO  SODAIil. 
BENE  MERENTI.    EX  DECR.  ACADEMICS. 
ANN.  MDCCCXXXVI. 

Lietissimo  di  potere  colP  annunzio  di  quest'  atto  accademico,  cosi  vivamente  grato 
al  mio  cuore,  par  complimento  al  quadriennio  della  mia  Presidenza,  altro  non  mi 
rimane  se  non  di  pregare  V.  S.  Ill™»  a  gradire  questa  si  spontanea  e  eolenne  dimo- 
Btrazione  dell'  ossequio  ed  amore  de'  suoi  affettuosi  coUeghi,  e  di  far  voti  sincerissimi 
al  Cielo  perch6  ci  servi  per  lungbi  anni  nel  Sig.  Commendatore  Thorvaldsen  uno  de' 
piu  grandi  ornamenti  dell'  Accademia  e  di  Roma,  uno  de  piii  insigni  e  celebrati 
maestri  di  che  si  onorino  le  arti  europee. 

Con  questi  sentimenti  dell'  animo  desidero,  che  V.  S.  Ill"''  mi  abbia  costantemeute 
per  sno  con  tutta  la  venerazione 

Di  V.  S-IIl-"" 

Dev™°  obi"""  Servitore, 
G.  Cav^  Salvt^  Presidente 


Prof.  SAIiVATORE  BeTTI, 

Sear.  perp. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEJS'. 


when  Thorvaldsen  and  his  friends  had  reached  the  first  vil- 
lage on  their  route  the}'  were  warned  off"  by  a  sort  of  impro- 
vised militia,  who  ordered  them  to  turn  back  immediately, 
threatening  to  fire  upon  them  if  they  did  not  obey. 

It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  return  to  Rome,  where  the 
epidemic  was  raging  fearfully.  The  artist  thought  it  likely 
he  should  never  see  his  country  again,  and  judged  it  prudent 
to  make  his  will.  In  this  document,  dated  Aug.  24,  1837, 
he  bequeaths  to  his  native  city  of  Copenhagen  his  works, 
and  his  collections  of  objects  of  art  and  antiquities,  on  con- 
dition that  a  suitable  building,  exclusively  devoted  to  them, 
should  be  provided  by  the  city.  He  had  already,  by  a  deed 
of  prior  date,  assured  a  sufficient  income  to  his  daughter, 
whom  he  had  acknowledged  in  1835,  and  for  whom  he  had 
arranged  an  honorable  marriage. ^ 

It  was  a  sad  time,  the  summer  of  1837  in  Rome.  Constant 
work  was  Thorvaldsen's  refuge  from  painful  thoughts,  ex- 
cited b}"  the  presence  of  an  epidemic  which  every  day  carried 
off  numerous  victims.  The  master  now  undertook  a  statue 
representing  a  young  girl  dancing  the  saltarello.  This  figure 
was  intended  to  ornament  one  of  the  halls  of  the  Palace 
Torlonia,  which  already  contained  the  first  "Dancing  Girl" 
of  the  artist,  and  a  similar  work  b}^  Canova. 

Having  first  blocked  out  the  subject  in  clay  to  his  satis- 
faction, the  sculptor  sent  for  a  model.  A  beautiful  Roman 
girl,  accompanied  by  her  mother,  sat  for  it  for  a  short  time, 
when  she  began  to  feel  ill.  In  a  few  moments  she  grew 
worse  ;  and  the  symptoms  leaving  no  doubt  as  to  the  nature 
of  her  illness,  —  an  attack  of  cholera,  —  the  artist  had  her 

1  Thorvaldsen's  daughter,  Eliza-Sophia-Charlotte  Magnani,  man-ied  a  Danish 
colonel,  Uerr  von  Paulsen,  by  whom  she  had  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 
The  daughter  died  when  scarcely  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  son  is  still  living  in 
Rome,  where  he  married,  and,  we  think,  has  children.  Becoming  a  widow,  Madame 
von  Paulsen  married  an  Italian,  Signor  Giorni,  by  whom  she  had  two  other  children. 
She  died  several  years  since.  The  deed  referred  to  (dated  1832)  assured  to  Madame 
von  Paulsen  the  income  of  a  capital  of  40,000  crowns  (about  $22,000),  deposited  with 
( he  National  Bank  of  Copenhagen. 


136 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


directly  taken  to  her  home.  She  recovered,  nevertheless. 
Some  time  afterward  her  mother  brought  her  back,  but  Thor- 
valdsen  would  not  consent  to  let  her  sit  again :  he  finished 
the  figure  without  a  model. 

From  that  time  he  thought  only  of  getting  away  from 
Kome :  he  made  every  arrangement  to  carry  out  this  long- 
deferred  project,  and  wrote  to  inform  his  friends  in  Copen- 
hagen. The  news  spread  rapidly  in  Denmark,  where  it  was 
received  with  general  joy.  The  king  immediately  notified 
Prince  Christian,  President  of  the  Academy,  that  he  had 
given  orders  for  a  government  frigate  to  be  sent  to  Leghorn, 
during  the  summer  of  1838,  to  bring  home  Thorvaldsen  and 
all  his  works.  The  artist  was  not  only  oflScially  apprised  of 
this,  but  received  a  private  letter  from  the  prince,  expressing 
the  satisfaction  he  felt  at  the  prospect  of  his  return. 

The  sculptor  had  his  boxes  packed  in  advance,  and  sent 
them  off  one  after  the  other  to  Leghorn,  to  the  number  of 
sixty-two :  they  contained  his  statues,  pictures,  antiquities, 
and  his  books.  When,  in  July,  Herr  Dahlerup,  captain  in 
the  royal  navy  of  Denmark,  informed  him  that  the  frigate 
"Rota"  was  at  anchor,  before  Leghorn,  waiting  to  take  him, 
his  suite,  and  effects  on  board,  he  was  all  ready  to  start. 
He  left  Rome,  with  the  hope,  however,  of  returning  once 
more,  and  embarked  for  Copenhagen  the  13th  of  August. 
1838. 


CUPID  AND  ANACREON. 


LIFE  OF  TRORVALDSEN, 


139 


CHAPTER  IX. 


A.rrival  of  Thorvaldsen  in  Copenhagen.  —  Enthusiastic  "Welcome.  — 
Apartments  in  the  Charlottenborg  Palace.  —  The  Frue  Kirke,  — 
His  Parsimony  and  Generosity.  —  Herr  Thiele. 

After  a  month's  voyage, 
Thorvaldsen  again,  for 
the  second  time,  beheld 
his  native  land :  he  came 
no  longer  as  a  visitor,  as 
twenty  years  before  he 
had  come,  but  to  take  up 
his  abode  there  for  the 
rest  of  his  life.  How 
describe  the  enthusiasm 
of  his  countrymen?  how 
picture  the  ovation  he 
received?  His  progress 
may  be  likened  to  that 
of  an  illustrious  prince,  a 
beloved  sovereign  return- 
ing to  his  kingdom  after 
the  conquest  of  a  prov- 
ince. Such  a  triumph  is 
rare,  even  in  the  annals  of  conquerors. 

The  nation  was  proud  of  the  great  artist,  who,  sprung  from 
the  lowest  ranks,  had  raised  himself  by  his  merit :  she  cele- 
brated his  return  with  a  joy  almost  delirious.  And  we  must 
do  the  Danes  the  justice  to  remark,  that  they  know  how  to 


THE  THREE  GRACES. 


I40  LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


appreciate  the  work  of  their  compatriots,  and  that  they  do 
not  willingly  sacrifice  them  to  strangers,  as  is  too  often  the 
case  in  other  lands. 

It  was  known  that  Thorvaldsen  had  set  sail  in  the  Rota,'* 
and  the  ship  was  expected  with  impatience.  The  15th  of 
September,  at  a  quarter  past  six  in  the  evening,  she  entered 
the  Sound,  and  a  courier  arrived  in  all  haste  to  announce  in 
Copenhagen  the  great  news.  The  wind  being  very  light 
and  the  current  against  her,  it  was  calculated  that  she  could 
hardly  reach  the  roadstead  of  Helsingoer  that  evening,  or  be 
expected  in  Copenhagen  before  the  following  morning.  The 
next  day  was  Sunda}''.  The  whole  population  was  on  foot 
at  an  early  hour,  but  the  day  passed  in  vain  and  anxious 
expectation. 

The  frigate,  retarded  by  the  current,  cast  anchor  near 
Helsingoer,  where  the  Sound  is  but  little  wider  than  a  broad 
river.  An  invitation  was  immediately  sent  by  the  Danes  to 
the  Swedish  city  of  Helsingborg  ;  and  the  next  day,  a  steamer, 
the  "Queen  Maria,"  having  on  board  a  company  composed 
of  the  inhabitants  of  both  cities,  and  carrying  the  flags  of  the 
two  nations,  came  to  salute  the  "  Rota."  The  steamer  passed 
around  the  frigate,  while  the  band  played  national  airs,  which 
were  taken  up  alternately  by  choirs.  The  "Queen  Maria" 
coming  alongside  the  frigate,  Thorvaldsen  went  on  board  of 
her,  where  he  was  greeted  with  a  patriotic  h3^mn :  the  pastor 
of  Helsingoer,  Herr  Boye,  made  an  address,  and  the  festivi- 
ties lasted  a  good  portion  of  the  daj^ 

The  artist  afterward  returned  on  board  the  "  Rota,"  where 
he  walked  the  quarter-deck  to  a  late  hour  of  the  evening. 
At  nightfall  a  superb  aurora  borealis  enveloped  the  frigate. 
This  phenomenon  is  not  rare  in  the  northern  seas,  but  the 
national  enthusiasm  willingly  regarded  it  as  a  sort  of  miracle 
in  honor  of  Thorvaldsen.  It  was  the  god  Thor,  binding 
with  a  radiant  aureole  the  brow  of  one  of  his  most  glorious 
sons. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


141 


The  steamer  tried  to  tow  the  frigate,  but  did  not  get  her 
be3'ond  Kronborg  before  Monday  morning.  Tlie  fog  was 
thick,  and  it  was  therefore  impossible  to  enjoy  the  beautiful 
view  which  the  Sound  presents  of  the  Island  of  Zeeland  and 
of  the  Swedish  coast ;  a  charming  spectacle,  recalling  in  some 
of  its  features  the  Bosphorus  or  the  Bay  of  Naples,  on  fine 
summer  evenings.  The  "Rota"  advanced  slowly  through 
the  fog,  escorted  by  two  boats,  one  Danish,  the  other  Swedish, 
from  which  rose  national  songs,  keeping  time  with  the  regular 
stroke  of  the  oars. 

Though  the  citizens  of  Copenhagen  had  been  kept  on  the 
qui  vive  all  day  Sunda}^,  they  nevertheless  had  lost  none  of 
their  enthusiasm,  and  on  Monday  all  eyes  were  still  fixed 
upon  the  steeple  of  the  Church  of  St.  Nicholas,  where  a 
flag  was  to  be  run  up  as  soon  as  the  ship  should  heave 
in  sight.  But  the  man  who  kept  watch  at  the  Sextus 
battery  could  see  nothing  for  the  fog,  and  the  impatience 
waxed  greater. 

A  few  moments  before  noon,  the  sky  suddenl}'  cleared. 
Then,  far  oflT  in  the  distance,  was  seen  the  "  Rota,"  with  all 
her  canvas  spread,  sailing  toward  the  harbor.  The  flag  was 
quickly  waving  from  the  top  of  the  spire :  at  the  same 
moment  rose  from  the  city  below  a  prolonged  shout,  and  all 
the  population  hurried  to  the  port. 

In  spite  of  the  rain,  which  fell  copiousl}^,  preparations  were 
direct^  made  to  receive  Thorvaldsen  according  to  the  pro- 
gramme of  the  committee  presiding  over  the  festivities. ^ 
Boats  with  flags  and  streamers  flying,  and  containing  mem- 
bers of  various  civic  associations,  were  very  soon  seen  leaving 
the  military  port,  and  proceeding  down  the  harbor  to  meet 
the  frigate.  On  one  flag,  the  artists',  was  emblazoned  the 
Tln-ee  Graces  of  Thorvaldsen  ;  the  poets  were  ranged  under 
the  banner  of  Pegasus  ;  the  students,  under  Minerva ;  the 
physicians,  JEsculapius  ;  the  mechanics,  Vulcan  ;  while  the 

^  Herr  Thiele  has  preserved  the  minutest  details  of  this  fete. 


142 


LIFE  OF  TRORVALDSEN. 


boat  of  the  naval  officer  who  had  command  of  the  flotilla 
bore  the  device  of  Neptune.  When  beyond  the  battery  of 
"  The  Three  Crowns,"  the  boats  divided  into  two  ranks,  each 
forming  the  half  of  a  circle,  in  the  centre  of  which  moved  the 
frigate.  At  this  moment  a  brilliant  rainbow  spanned  the 
heavens,  making  a  triumphal  arch  above  the  "  Rota."  Again 
the  sky  of  the  North  seemed  anxious  to  celebrate  the  return 
of  its  son. 

Presently  all  the  boats  approached  the  ship,  and  one 
decorated  in  Pompeian  style  came  alongside.  It  held 
Herr  Freund  and  Herr  Thiele,  who  passed  on  board  the 
"  Rota." 

Thorvaldsen  was  standing  on  the  quarter-deck,  perfectly 
calm,  smiling  good-naturedly,  and  regarding  with  a  sort  of 
na^ve  astonishment  all  these  solemn  demonstrations,  as 
though  he  did  not  exactly  understand  that  they  were  in  his 
honor.  As  soon  as  he  saw  his  two  friends,  he  ran  to  them, 
and  embraced  them  cordially,  hardly  leaving  them  time  to  pay 
him  the  compliments  they  had  been  charged  with  present- 
ing. Meanwhile  from  all  the  barks  arose  an  immense  con- 
cert of  voices,  chanting  in  chorus  a  hymn  composed  in  honor 
of  the  artist  by  the  poet  Heiberg,  and  which  was  long  echoed 
back  from  the  shore  by  the  enthusiastic  hurrahs  of  the  crowds 
lining  the  wharves.  At  the  same  time  the  "Rota"  was 
boarded,  so  to  speak,  by  the  crews  of  the  whole  flotilla. 
Everybody  wanted  to  get  a  good  look  at  the  illustrious  old 
man.  In  a  few  moments  the  ship  became  dangerously 
crowded,  and  Thorvaldsen  was  hurried  into  the  long-boat 
and  taken  ashore  by  Capt.  Dahlerup. 

As  soon  as  his  departure  was  known,  the  Danes,  who  had 
boarded  the  "  Rota,"  rushed  precipitately  to  their  boats,  and 
the  deck  was  cleared  in  an  instant.  Now  took  place  an  im- 
promptu rowing  match  between  the  boats,  trying  to  catch  up 
with  the  one  carrying  Thorvaldsen.  Meanwhile,  the  sailors 
of  the  frigate  had  manned  the  yards,  and  were  saluting  with 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN, 


143 


their  acclamations  the  great  artist  whom  the}'  had  had  the 
honor  of  bringing  back  to  his  country. 

The  old  man  was  received,  on  landing,  by  the  members  of 
the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  together  with  some  of  his  early 
friends.  Thorvaldsen's  qjq  was  clear,  his  expression  mild 
and  intelligent.  The  long,  white  hair  which  fell  on  his 
shoulders  was  a  fitting  framework  for  his  regular  features. 
His  form  was  tall  and  erect,  and  his  step  firm.  His  fine 
figure  and  the  simplicity  of  his  bearing  excited  a  profound  in- 
terest and  sympathy  in  the  crowd,  and  it  was  with  diflSculty 
that  a  passage  was  cleared  to  the  carriage  waiting  for  him 
on  the  quay.  The  pressure  was  so  great  that  he  was  carried 
through  Amalia  Street  and  Amalienborg  Square  to  the  palace 
of  Charlottenborg,  without  perceiving  that  the  horses  had 
been  taken  out,  and  that  his  carriage  was  drawn  b}^  the  peo- 
ple. When  he  was  told  of  this,  he  refused  to  believe  it. 
So  excessive  a  demonstration  was  not  of  a  nature  to  please 
one  of  his  simple  manners  and  character. 

The  carriage  entered  the  courtyard  of  Charlottenborg, 
and  soon  the  place  was  besieged.  The  cro"wd,  assembled  in 
the  square,  tried  to  enter  by  the  great  gate,  which  had  been 
prudentl}^  closed.  The  porter  not  replying  to  the  reiterated 
ringing  of  the  bell,  a  man  who  had  contrived  to  efiect  an 
entrance  through  the  janitor's  window  constituted  himself 
the  mouth-piece  of  the  crowd  and  declared  that  they  would 
not  disperse  without  seeing  Thorvaldsen.  As  soon  as  the 
artist  heard  of  this  desire,  he  allowed  Herr  Thiele  to  lead 
him  to  the  balcony  of  the  great  hall  overlooking  the  Royal 
Square. 

"  Would  not  any  one  think,"  he  said,  smiling,  "  thfkw  we 
were  in  Rome,  and  I  were  the  Pope,  about  to  give  the  bene- 
diction urhi  et  orbi,  from  the  balcony  of  St.  Peter's?" 

He  uncovered  to  salute  his  countrymen,  and  was  greeted 
with  prolonged  hurrahs.  The  crowd  was  so  great  in  the 
square,  that  the  equestrian  statue  of  Christian  V  seemed  to 


144 


LIFE  OF  TRORVALBSEN. 


swim  in  an  agitated  sea ;  while  children  hung  in  clusters  on 
the  street  lamp-posts.  Charlottenborg  was  decked  with 
flowers  to  welcome  its  new  guest ;  and  in  the  evening  there 
was  a  torchlight  procession  organized  by  the  young  artists. 

After  such  a  day,  Thorvaldsen  doubtless  flattered  himself 
that  he  should  return  to  a  tranquil  life  ;  but  he  was  mistaken. 
This  was  only  the  prelude  to  other  solemnities,  other  ova- 
tions, and  it  was  long  before  the  artist  enjo3'ed  a  moment's 
repose.  Like  a  sovereign,  he  must  bear  the  weight  of  his 
grandeur  without  appearing  to  be  fatigued  by  it.^ 

We  shall  not  enter  into  a  detailed  account  of  all  these  fes- 
tivities, which  would  detain  us  too  long.  Few  men  have 
been  to  such  a  degree  the  object  of  the  persistent  attentions 
of  their  fellow-citizens.  The  newspapers,  which  had  cele- 
brated the  sculptor's  return,  continued  to  inform  the  public 
of  his  slightest  actions  ;  every  post  brought  him  an  incredi- 
ble number  of  letters,  congratulations,  requests  for  assist- 
ance, petitions  which  he  was  asked  to  sign.  Nor  was  poetry 
wanting,  for  the  Muses  are  cultivated  with  enthusiasm  in 
Denmark.  Among  the  letters  which  had  long  been  await- 
ing his  arrival  in  Copenhagen,  we  must  mention  one,  re- 
markable for  its  singularity.    The  Secretary  of  the  His- 

1  The  next  day  it  was  an  excursion  to  Sans-Souci,  the  pleasure  palace  of  Christian 
Frederick,  where  were  assembled  all  the  members  of  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  of 
•which  the  prince  was  president.  They  held  a  meeting  in  the  forest;  after  which 
they  went  to  dine  at  the  Hotel  Bellevue,  finely  situated  on  the  borders  of  the  Sound, 
a  favorite  retreat  of  the  citizens  of  Copenhagen  on  Sundays  in  summer.  The  follow- 
ing day  a  more  formal  meeting  took  place,  at  which  the  Vice-President  announced 
that  the  Academy  had  decided  to  have  a  medal  struck  in  honor  of  Thorvaldsen,  and 
bearing  his  name,  which  should  be  given  as  a  prize  to  the  pupils  in  sculpture.  The 
execution  of  the  medal  was  entrusted  to  Professor  Christensen. 

As  to  the  city  government,  it  bestowed  upon  the  veteran  sculptor  the  diploma  of 
honorary  citizenship. 

The  artists  who  had  been  in  Italy,  and  who  had  formed  themselves  into  an  associa- 
tion under  the  name  of  the  Roman  Society,  got  up  a  private  dinner  in  honor  of  the 
sculptor,  who  made  his  appearance  decorated  with  the  Order  of  the  Baiocco,  having 
the  small  copper  coin  of  that  name  hung  round  his  neck  by  a  green  ribbon.  At 
dessert,  they  did  not  fail  to  crown  him  with  laurels. 

Another  grand  fete  took  place  at  Koeskilde,  then  the  seat  of  the  Danish  Par- 
liament. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


torical  Society  of  Rhode  Island,  in  North  America,  wrote 
to  inform  the  sculptor  that  the  said  Society  had  elected  him 
an  honorary  member,  on  account  of  his  being  the  living 
representative  of  the  first  native  American  of  European 
blood ;  recent  researches  in  American  antiquities  having 
est  ablished  the  fact  that  a  certain  Thorfinne  Karlsefne  had, 
in  1007,  commanded  an  expedition  to  Rhode  Island,  and 
passed  the  winter  at  Mount  Hope,  where  his  wife  Gudrid, 
the  following  spring,  presented  him  with  a  son,  who  was 
called  Snome.  Now  this  same  Snome,  according  to  the 
genealogists,  was  one  of  the  ancestors  of  Thorvaldsen.i 
"They  are  wonderful  fellows,  these  savans"  said  the  artist, 
laughing  heartily.  "  How  should  we  know,  without  them, 
whence  we  come,  or  whither  we  go  ? " 

Thorvaldsen  installed  himself  at  the  palace  of  Charlotten- 
borg,  in  an  apartment  on  the  ground-floor  appropriated  to 
the  Academy  professor  of  sculpture.  This  apartment,  the 
windows  of  which  look  out  upon  the  botanical  garden,  had 
been  ready  for  him  since  1805,  though  he  had  occupied  it 
only  during  a  short  stay  in  Copenhagen,  in  1819.  Before 
his  arrival  several  rooms  had  been  added  to  the  suite,  and 
the  works  which  he  had  sent  from  Italy  previous  to  his  own 
coming  were  temporarily  placed  in  them.  The  artist  set 
himself  to  work  to  arrange  these  marbles  and  plasters,  as 
well  as  those  which  came  in  the  "  Rota."  He  even  thought 
of  unpacking  his  rich  collection  of  medals,  antique  vases,  and 
engraved  stones,  but  he  had  no  time  to  put  in  order  these 
numerous  possessions.  The  sculptor  no  longer  belonged  to 
himself:  he  was  the  prey  of  the  public.  Every  day  a  line 
of  carriages,  such  as  is  never  seen  in  Copenhagen  except  at  the 
theatre  on  the  evenings  of  some  extraordinary  performance, 
was  stationed  before  the  door  of  the  Academy.    All  visitors 


1  The  work  containing  the  result  of  these  researches  in  regard  to  the  History  of 
CToi-th  America  was  published  in  1837,  under  the  title  of  Antiquitates  Americance. 
The  genealogical  table  annexed  traces  the  pedigree  of  Thorvaldsen. 


146 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


were  received  with  affability ;  but  the  artist,  who  never  hur- 
ried himself  about  completing  his  toilet,  was  generall}''  sur- 
prised in  his  dressing-gown  and  slippers.  Consequently  he 
passed  whole  daj^s  in  this  costume,  fulfilling  the  functions  of 
cicerone  to  his  own  sculptures.  Then  every  daj^  he  was 
obliged  to  dine  out  somewhere,  and  afterward  go  to  some 
evening  party.  ^'  I  shall  sink  under  it,"  he  said  to  a 
friend. 

What  annoyed  him  the  most  in  this  kind  of  life  was  the 
impossibility  of  devoting  himself  to  his  work,  being  at  first 
afraid  that  he  should  seem  wanting  in  respect  to  his  visitors, 
if  he  received  them  with  moulding-tool  or  hammer  in  hand. 
Later,  when  he  perceived  how  much  pleasure  they  took  in 
seeing  him  thus  employed,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  continue 
his  work  as  in  Rome  ;  and  little  by  little  his  life  assumed  an 
aspect  more  in  accordance  with  his  tastes. 

He  rose  early  and  breakfasted  frugal^,  as  had  long  been 
his  habit,  on  two  large  tumblers  of  milk  and  two  small  rolls. 
But  he  continued  to  dine  out  every  evening  with  a  new  host, 
without  being  able  to  accept  all  the  invitations  showered 
upon  him. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  at  Copenhagen,  the  administrative 
council  of  the  Frue  Kirke  (Church  of  our  Lady)  wished  to 
take  advantage  of  the  presence  of  the  artist,  who  now  deter- 
mined to  bring  together  in  this  church  all  his  religious  works. 
The  "  Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles,"^  the  "  Preaching  of 
John  the  Baptist,"  were  not  alone  to  ornament  the  Frae 
Kirke.  Other  great  works  were  also  planned :  a  frieze 
representing  "  The  Entry  of  Christ  into  Jerusalem,"  -  in- 

1  The  council  notified  him  that  it  had  devoted  to  this  enterprise  the  sum  of  thirty- 
four  thousand  Danish  crowns,  which  were  at  his  disposal.  The  marble  statue  of 
''Christ,-'  executed  for  the  royal  chapel,  cost  sixteen  thousand  crowns.  For  the 
'•  Ten  Apostles,"  which  the  sculptor  had  had  cut  in  marble  at  his  own  expense,  he 
was  paid  two  thousand  crowns  for  each.  The  other  two  apostles,  wliich  he  had  al- 
ways meant  to  remodel,  were  also  ordered. 
The  subject  was  chosen  by  Thorvaldsen. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


147 


tended  for  the  peristyle ;  four  statues  of  prophets,  to  be 
placed  in  niches  each  side  of  the  great  entrance  ;  and  marble 
statues  of  Luther  and  Melanchthon,  for  the  porch. ^ 

Thorvaldsen  was  now  in  his  sixty-eighth  3^ear  ;  but  we  for- 
get his  age  when  we  see  with  what  ardor  he  still  projected 
great  works  in  spite  of  the  obstacles  which  the  exigencies 
of  Danish  society  threw  in  the  way  of  their  speedy  com- 
IDletion. 

His  dail}^  correspondence  alone  was  no  small  occupation. 
The  artist,  as  we  have  seen,  had  never  been  in  a  hurry  to 
read  letters  any  more  than  to  answer  them.  He  was  now  less 
disposed  than  ever  to  take  this  trouble  upon  himself.  For- 
tunately, the  Secretary  of  the  Academy,  Herr  Thiele,  his 
future  biographer,  a  trustworthy  friend,  and  a  man  of  tact 
and  judgment,  did  this  service  for  him.  Herr  Thiele  exam- 
ined the  correspondence,  and  gave  the  artist  all  the  letters 
that  required  to  be  read  immediately  :  the  others  he  classified, 
and  reported  upon  them  periodically.  Of  this  number  were 
all  requests  for  assistance.  The  ready  mone}^  which  Thor- 
valdsen had  brought  with  him  from  Rome  had  so  rapidly 
melted  awa}^  in  charitable  gifts,  that  it  soon  became  neces- 
sary to  renew  the  supply.  But,  a  second  sum  taking  quickly 
the  same  road  as  the  first,  the  artist  was  forced,  b}"  wa}^  of 
putting  some  check  upon  his  liberality,  to  examine  carefully 
the  various  requests.  Upon  Herr  Thiele,  who  charged  him- 
self with  this  work,  thus  devolved  the  functions  of  both  sec- 
retary and  treasurer. 

Though  in  his  later  years  his  habits  of  economy  had  de- 
generated into  parsimony,  Thorvaldsen  was  ever  ready  to 
generously  assist  the  unfortunate.  Superficial  observers  may, 
with  a  show  of  truth,  accuse  him  of  avarice ;  but  they  who 
have  known  the  inmost  secrets  of  his  life  emphatically  deny 

1  The  artist  was  working  upon  the  bust  of  Luther  at  the  time  of  his  death.  After 
that  event,  the  project  of  erecting  these  two  statues  seems  to  have  been  given  up. 
Two  only  of  the  statues  of  prophets  were  subsequently  executed, —  David  and 
Moses,  —  by  Messrs.  Bissen  and  Jerichau. 


148 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


this  accusation.  No  doubt  the  old  man  has  been  heard  dis- 
puting obstinately  about  the  price  of  a  pair  of  shoes :  he 
has  been  seen  stooping  with  difficulty  to  pick  up  a  button. 
Meanwhile,  let  a  poor  woman  leave  his  door  satisfied  with  a 
generous  gift,  but  showing  by  her  mien  and  dress  a  still 
greater  misery  than  he  had  at  first  recognized,  and  he  has- 
tens to  recall  her,  and  place  in  her  hand  another  handful  of 
crowns. 

Nothing  is  more  natural  than  this  apparent  contradiction. 
Characters  are  not  wholly  consistent,  and  we  constantly  see 
in  human  life  contrasts  which  at  first  sight  appear  quite  as 
strange.  Thorvaldsen  practised  that  excess  of  economy  very 
common  in  old  people  who  have  known  poverty  in  their 
youth,  and  who,  having  led  a  life  of  labor,  have  not  seen 
their  wants  increase  with  their  fortune.  Such  men  are  the 
more  to  be  praised,  when,  parsimonious  for  themselves,  they 
give  freel}^  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  toil  to  relieve  the  unfor- 
tunate. 

But  it  was  not  the  indigent  alone  who  had  recourse  to  the 
artist.  As  his  influence  was  well  known,  every  one  who 
wanted  a  favor  from  the  court,  the  ministers,  or  men  in  office, 
applied  to  him.  He  had  therefore  requests  to  present,  peti- 
tions to  indorse.  The  merchant,  anxious  to  extend  his  busi- 
ness, begged  Thorvaldsen  to  lend  him  the  sum  he  needed,  or 
be  security  for  him.  It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the 
master  could  be  dissuaded  in  sucli  cases  from  lending  his 
name  ;  for  the  service  seemed  to  him  so  easy  to  render,  that 
he  was  almost  ashamed  to  refuse ;  and,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  vigilance  of  his  secretary  and  friend,  he  would  often  have 
become  seriously  involved  in  consequence  of  his  willingness 
to  oblige.  A  royal  fortune  would  hardly  have  sufficed  to 
satisfy  the  demands  made  upon  him. 

Ver}^  often,  too,  he  was  solicited  only  ad  pompam  et  osten- 
tationem,  and  we  might  give  an  entertaining  account  of  all 
the  letters  he  received  from  fathers  and  mothers  begging  him 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


149 


to  stand  godfather  to  their  children.  He  usually  consented 
to  assume  this  responsibilit}^,  but  generally  forgot  his  prom- 
ise :  he  would  then  make  amends  b}^  sending  some  present. 

Finally,  all  the  Thorvaldsens,  not  onl}^  in  the  city  and  its 
environs,  but  in  the  whole  kingdom,  wrote  or  came  to  see 
him  to  explain  carefully  and  at  length  the  exact  degree  of 
relationship  in  which  they  stood  to  him.  The  artist  was 
amused  by  all  this,  and  repulsed  no  one.  Among  these  im- 
portunities, the  most  numerous  and  least  delicate  were  those 
addressed  to  him  by  people  who  wished  to  know  when  he 
would  return  to  Italy,  as  they  would  like  to  bear  him  compan}^ 
It  was  evident  that  they  counted  on  having  their  expenses 
paid  by  so  illustrious  and  generous  a  travelling-companion ; 
and  they  even  did  not  fail  to  insinuate  that  on  this  condition 
they  would  be  willing  to  stay  several  years  in  the  classic 
land  of  art. 

With  such  constant  calls  upon  him,  and  above  all  with  so 
many  social  distractions,  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  diffi- 
cult it  was  for  the  artist  to  devote  himself,  as  much  as  he 
liked,  to  the  labor  which  still  made  the  deepest  joy  of  his 
life,  as  it  had  already  made  the  glory  of  his  name. 

He  felt  that  he  could  not  free  himself  from  all  these  im- 
pediments, except  by  quitting  Copenhagen. 

Let  us  not,  however,  blame  the  Danish  people  for  an  excess 
of  zeal,  under  cover  of  which  some  annoyances  may  have 
been  inflicted.  If  among  the  multitude  of  enthusiasts  there 
were  some  without  discretion,  where  are  they  not  to  be  found  ? 
Let  us  rather  dwell  upon  the  extraordinary  consideration 
shown  to  the  great  artist,  the  respect  paid  by  his  fellow- 
citizens  to  his  old  age.  Such  homage  does  no  less  honor  to 
Denmark  than  to  Thorvaldsen :  it  indicates  the  intellectual 
superiority  of  the  nation,  and  its  sincere  fondness  for  the  arts. 
In  what  other  country  do  we  see  great  artists  so  honored ! 


WINTER. 


LIFE  OF  TROBVALDSEN. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Baron  Von  Stampe  and  his  Family.  —  Thorvaldsen  at  Nysoe.  —  His 
Atelier  at  Stampeborg.  —  His  Statue  of  Himself.  —  "  Christ's 
Entry  into  Jerusalem."  —  "Christ  bearing  the  Cross."  —  The 
Poet  Andersen.  —  The  Grand-Cross  of  Danebrog.  —  King  Chris- 
tian VIII.  —  Statue  of  Christian  IV.  —  Wilkens. 


THORVALDSEN. 


sen  to  pass  the  summer 


Though  Thorvaldsen  was 
never  married,  he  was  bet- 
ter fitted  for  a  domestic 
than  a  fashionable  life  ;  and 
before  he  had  resided  long 
in  Copenhagen,  he  came 
to  regard  the  households 
where  he  was  kindly  wel- 
comed as  his  own,  and 
made  himself  almost  as 
much  at  home  there  as  in 
his  own  apartments.  That 
of  the  Baron  von  Stampe 
was  especially  attractive  to 
him  :  the  baron  and  baron- 
ess had  several  children ; 
and  the  artist,  treated  by 
them  with  respect  and  af- 
fection, became,  in  oneway, 
a  member  of  the  famil3\ 
They  invited  Thorvald- 
at  their  chateau  at  Nysoe.  The 


152 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSFN. 


baron}^  of  Stampe  is  a  vast  and  beautiful  domain,  distant 
a  quarter  of  an  hour's  drive  from  Proesto.  It  is  situated  at 
the  head  of  a  bay  bordered  by  great  trees,  and  is  in  the  midst 
of  a  richl}"  wooded  and  farming  country.  To  reach  it  by  sea, 
from  Copenhagen,  requires  a  voyage  of  six  or  eight  hours  in 
the  steamer,  and  by  the  land  route  the  distance  is  still  greater  ; 
so  that  it  is  quite  secure  from  the  incursions  of  troublesome 
visitors.  Thorvaldsen  was  glad  on  more  than  one  account  to 
accept  the  invitation,  seeing  in  it  a  means  of  escaping  from 
duties  which,  though  not  without  their  charms,  were  still 
sometimes  irksome. 

To  beguile  the  leisure  hours  of  life  in  the  countrj^,  he  made 
for  his  amusement  a  few  sketches  in  cla^^  The  room  adjoin- 
ing the  one  he  occupied  on  the  ground-floor  was  given  up  to 
him  for  an  atelier,  and  what  was  at  first  merel}^  a  pastime 
gradually  became  a  serious  occupation,  to  which  he  applied 
himself  with  all  his  native  ardor. 

Since  his  return  to  Denmark,  he  had  been  often  urged  by 
his  friends  to  model  a  statue  of  himself.  The  Baroness  von 
Stampe  had  frequently  broached  the  subject  to  him,  but 
without  effect :  he  invariably  refused,  maintaining  that  it  was 
too  great  a  piece  of  vanity  on  the  part  of  an  artist  to  make 
any  representation  of  himself.  Profiting,  however,  by  his 
sojourn  at  Nysoe,  she,  by  constant  perseverance,  at  length 
prevailed  upon  him  to  block  out  a  small  rough  model ;  but 
he  would  do  no  more,  alleging,  as  a  pretext,  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  do  anything  more  important  in  a  room  which  was 
not  high  enough  for  him  to  work  in  with  ease,  and  where 
there  was  no  light  from  above.  It  was  then  that  the  baron- 
ess conceived  a  project  which  she  was  very  careful  not  to 
reveal  to  her  guest.  With  seeming  indifference,  she  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  the  size  and  arrangement  he  would  consider 
indispensable  for  an  atelier,  and  carefully  noted  his  replies. 

Thorvaldsen  had  left  in  Copenhagen  an  unfinished  clay 
sketch  of  the  celebrated  Danish  poet  Holberg,  with  instruc- 


LIFE  OF  TIIOBVALBSEIs'. 


153 


tions  to  one  of  his  pupils  to  keep  it  moist.  He  now  thought 
it  time  to  return  thither  and  complete  it.  He  accordingly 
left  Nysoe,  promising  to  be  back  in  eight  da3's.  He  had 
scarcely  gone,  when  the  baroness  sent  for  a  builder  and 
workmen.  She  chose  a  suitable  place  in  the  garden  before 
the  castle  ;  had,  that  very  da}',  three  great  trees  cut  down  ; 
and  set  the  men  at  work  to  build  a  small  atelier.  It  was  a 
busy  time  at  Nysoe  during  that  week ;  for  it  had  been  stipu- 
lated that,  unless  everything  were  finished  within  the  eight 
days,  nothing  should  be  paid.  When  the  artist  returned,  all 
was  ready.  It  was  a  delightful  surprise,  and  the  occasion 
was  celebrated  by  an  inaugural  fete.  This  took  place  in  the 
month  of  July,  1839. 

The  atelier  was  so  arranged  that  Thorvaldsen  had  no 
longer  any  pretext  for  not  executing  his  statue :  he  was 
therefore  obliged  to  yield  He  had  been  working  on  it  sev- 
eral da3's,  very  zealousl}^,  when  he  received  from  Copenhagen 
a  letter  from  Oehlenschlaeger,  whose  bust  he  had  promised  to 
take.  The  poet  was  very  anxious  that  the  artist  should  fulfil 
his  promise,  and  urged  it  vehementlj^,  with  the  vanity  of  a 
famous  man  desirous  to  leave  his  features  to  posterity  b}'  the 
hand  of  an  illustrious  sculptor. 

Thorvaldsen  made  merry  over  this  with  the  baroness ; 
and,  notwithstanding  his  habitual  good-nature,  could  not 
help  ridiculing  the  poet  a  little.  But  suddenly  he  stopped 
laughing,  and  the  letter  fell  from  his  hands.  "It  is  very 
well  for  me,"  he  said,  "  to  jest  at  the  vanity  of  others,  when 
I  myself,  at  this  \evy  moment,  am  engaged  in  raising  a  mon- 
ument to  my  own  vanity  !  "  He  threw  down  his  tools  with 
violence,  and  would  have  broken  his  statue.  The  baroness 
immediately  called  for  help.  She  dragged  the  artist  out  of 
the  atelier,  -locked  it,  and  took  possession  of  the  'key.  She 
tried  for  a  few  da^'s  to  convince  him  that  he  was  wrong,  b}' 
argument,  but  without  success.  Finding  that,  in  this  way, 
she  obtained  nothing,  she  had  recourse  to  stratagem.  We 


154 


LTFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


think  it  is  Calderon  who  somewhere  says ;  "  Weep,  woman, 
and  yon  will  obtain  all  you  wish."  The  baroness  pretended 
to  be  very  much  grieved,  and  began  to  cr}'.  "  Thorvaldsen 
cared  nothing  for  her  !  He  knew  how  much  she  wanted  his 
statue,  —  her  eagerness  to  build  the  atelier  proved  it, — but 
nothing  could  mov^  him.  He  must  have  a  yqyj  hard  heart 
to  behave  in  this  way  to  so  devoted  a  friend." 

The  old  man,  simple  as  a  child,  was  taken  in.  Touched 
by  this  feigned  distress,  —  "Well,"  he  cried,  "  they  may  think 
what  they  please.  My  statue  is  not  for  posterity,  but  I  can- 
not refuse  it  to  a  friend  to  whom  it  will  give  so  much  pleasure." 
He  resumed  his  work  directly,  with  the  greatest  ardor,  as  if 
he  feared  a  return  of  his  scruples,  and  finished  the  model  in 
seventeen  days.^  The  artist  has  represented  himself  in  his 
working  dress,  one  arm  leaning  upon  his  statue  of  "  Hope."^ 

Henceforward  Thorvaldsen  was  a  constant  guest  at  Stampe- 
borg,  dividing  his  time  between  Copenhagen  and  Nysoe. 
The  first  works  composed  in  the  atelier  built  for  him  b}^  the 
baroness  were — -besides  the  statue  of  the  master  —  the  bust 
of  the  poet  Oehlenschlaeger,  and  the  sketch  of  "  Christ's 
Entry  into  Jerusalem,"  a  grand  frieze,  now  over  the  principal 
entrance  of  the  Frue  Kirke  in  Copenhagen.  Between  the 
sketch  and  the  finished  work,  which  was  subjected  to  many 
changes,  there  are  marked  diff'erences. 

Another  sketch,  no  less  important,  was  also  made  at  Nysoe  : 
that  of  the  frieze  representing  "  Christ  bearing  the  Cross." 
On  the  preceding  feast  of  Pentecost,  the  marble  statues  of 
the  apostles  had  been  set  up  in  the  Frue  Kirke^  in  place  of 
the  plaster  casts  which  had  before  temporarily  represented 
them  ;  and  the  statue  of  Christ  was  at  the  same  time  removed 

1  This  anecdote  was  related  to  us  by  the  baroness  herself,  when  we  had  the  honor 
of  being  received  at  her  country  residence,  at  Nysoe. 

2  In  placing  beside  his  portrait  statue  the  archaic  figure  of  his  "  Hope,"  Thorvald- 
Bcn's  idea  was  to  make  the  contrast  strongly  marked  between  the  man,  who  was  to 
be  represented  as  living,  and  the  marble  statue,  which  ought,  on  the  contrary,  to  be 
cold  and  motionless. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


155 


from  the  royal  chapel,  and  placed  in  front  of  the  choir.  When 
all  the  statues  were  in  their  places  in  the  church,  it  occurred 
to  the  architect  Hetsch  that  a  frieze  placed  in  the  apsis  behind 
the  "  Christ"  would  have  an  excellent  effect,  serving  to  connect 
these  detached  pieces  of  sculpture  with  the  building  itself. 
Thorvaldsen,  without  troubling  himself  to  ascertain  whether 
the  building  committee  would  appropriate  the  necessary 
funds,  eagerly  embraced  the  suggestion  of  the  architect,  and 
agreed  with  him  that  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord,  of  which  there 
was  no  representation  in  the  church,  should  be  the  subject  of 
this  frieze.  The  model,  sketched  at  Nysoe,  and  now  in  the 
Museum,  differs  in  some  respects  from  the  frieze  in  the  Fma 
Kirke,  The  latter  was  executed  under  Thorvaldsen's  direc- 
tion, by  young  artists  in  Herr  Freund's  atelier. 

The  poet  Andersen,  who  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Stampe- 
borg,  and  who  happened  to  be  there  while  Thorvaldsen  was 
occupied  with  this  composition,  mentions  in  his  autobiography 
that,  one  morning,  upon  going  into  the  atelier,  he  saw  the 
artist  at  work  upon  the  figure  of  Pilate.  Thorvaldsen  was 
dissatisfied  with  the  drapery,  and  asked  Andersen's  opinion. 
The  baroness,  who  was  present,  and  who  had  a  religious 
respect  for  everything  that  came  from  the  sculptor's  hand, 
tried  to  prevent  Andersen  from  criticising  it ;  but  the  latter 
said  frankly  that  the  drapery  seemed  to  him  more  Egyptian 
than  Roman.  "  That  is  exactly  my  opinion,"  replied  the 
artist,  and  immediately  destro^^ed  the  sketch,  much  to  the  dis- 
comfiture of  the  baroness,  Avho  felt  very  angry  with  the  poet. 

Life  at  Nysoe  was  of  a  nature  to  charm  the  artist :  the 
days  flowed  smoothl}'  on,  in  a  pleasant  alternation  of  labor 
and  leisure.  The  master  rose  earl}^,  and,  by  the  time  the 
clock  had  struck  twelve,  had  frequentl}^  been  at  work  seven 
hours.  He  did  not  like  to  be  interrupted  during  these  busy 
mornings,  but,  in  the  afternoon,  was  ready  to  walk  in  the 
beautiful  woods  that  bordered  the  Bay  of  Proesto,  and  receive 
and  return  the  visits  of  the  gentry  of  the  neighborhood. 


156 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


It  was  the  custom,  after  dinner,  for  one  of  the  daughters  of 
the  baroness  to  play  for  the  sculptor  his  favorite  airs.  The 
old  man,  who  was  passionately  fond  of  music,  would  then 
seat  himself  in  a  large  arm-chair  to  listen  at  his  ease,  but 
generally  fell  asleep.  After  he  had  taken  his  nap,  he  would 
walk  up  and  down  the  room,  and  end  b}^  saying:  "Well, 
Herr  Andersen,  are  not  we  children  to  be  treated  this  evening 
to  some  little  fair}^  tale?"  The  sculptor  greatly  enjoyed  the 
poetic  and  delicate  charm  of  the  marvellous  semi-jientimental 
stories  in  which  Andersen  excelled. 

When  night  came  he  was  always  impatient  to  begin  his 
favorite  game  of  loto,  which  had  become  a  sort  of  old  man's 
mania  with  him  ;  and  care  was  taken  b}^  the  family  at  the  cas- 
tle never  to  deprive  him  of  this  amusement.  They  were 
even  glad  to  have  him  alwaj's  win,  for  the^^  knew  that  ill-luck 
annoyed  him  extremely,  although  they  only  pla3'ed  for  the 
very  smallest  sums.i 

The  month  of  November,  1837,  found  Thorvaldsen  still  at 
Nysoe.  The  19th  was  his  birthday,  and  the  family  were 
making  preparations  to  celebrate  it,  when  he  was  notified  by 
the  Chapter  of  the  Danebrog  that  the  king  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  grand  cross  of  the  order.  Now,  according  to 
the  statutes,  whosoever  has  attained  to  this  rank  in  the 
order  must  have  his  coat-of-arms  suspended  in  its  proper 
place  in  the  Knights'  Hall,  in  the  palace  of  Fredericksborg 
Thorvaldsen  had  never  asked  himself,  no  more  than  good- 
man  Gottskalk,  his  father,  whether  he  had  a  coat-of-arms  oi 
no ;  and  in  fact  had  none,  so  far  as  he  knew.  But  fron? 
this  day  he  appears  to  have  sometimes  given  a  thought  to 
the  matter ;  for  there  have  been  found  scribbled  upon  frag 
ments  of  letters  a  number  of  crude  beginnings  of  sketches 
seeming  to  relate  to  this  subject,  amongst  which,  it  was 
thought,  could  be  recognized  the  god  Thor,  armed  with  hi? 


^  We  were  shown  by  Madame  von  Stampe  the  green  silk  bag  that  held  the  big  pen 
nies,  — his  winnings  at  loto,  which  he  gave  his  servant  to  keep  for  him. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


^57 


hammer.  They  were,  after  all,  merely  fugitive  ideas,  never 
seriously  entertained ;  for  in  1843  he  had  not  yet  sent  the 
armorial  bearings  asked  for.  The  Chapter  reminded  him  of 
his  neglect,  but  the  artist  took  no  notice  of  their  communi- 
cation. 

After  Thorvaldsen's  death,  Herr  Bissen  was  called  upon 
to  satisf}^  the  claim  of  the  Chapter.  He  made  use  of  the 
sketches  we  have  mentioned,  as  suggestions  ;  and  thus  it  is 
that  the  sculptor's  shield  hangs  in  the  ancient  Hall  of 
Knights,  amid  feudal  coats-of-arms,  emblazoned  with  the 
god  of  the  North,  and  bearing  the  device,  "  Liberty  and 
Love  of  Country." 

Among  the  various  works  upon  which  the  indefatigable 
old  man  was  engaged  during  his  sojourn  at  Nysoe  was  the 
sketch  of  a  monument  to  the  memor}^  of  Frederick  VI, 
King  of  Denmark,  who  died  the  3d  of  December,  1839  :  the 
monarch  is  represented  clothed  in  tlie  royal  mantle,  and 
seated  on  a  throne.  The  artist  expected  the  monument  to 
be  placed  in  the  garden  adjoining  the  palace  of  Rosenborg 
known  as  the  king's  garden. 

Below  the  Castle  von  Stampe,  and  close  by  the  atelier 
built  for  the  sculptor,  flows  a  little  stream.  Thorvaldsen 
used  to  take  delight  in  daily  throwing  bread  to-  the  swans 
swimming  on  its  surface,  or  disporting  themselves  on  its 
grassy  edge.  The  sight  of  these  majestic  birds  suggested 
several  compositions,  illustrating  the  myth  of  Leda,  —  Jupi- 
ter changed  into  a  swan  and  bearing  Cupid  on  his  back, 
Leda  welcoming  her  kingly  lover  and  Cupid  flying  away. 

Christian  VIII,  who  succeeded  Fredericli  VI  on  the  throne 
of  Denmark,  was  anxious  to  have  a  statue  of  his  ancestor 
Christian  IV,  a  prince  who  had  distinguished  himself  in 
the  Thirty  Years'  War,  and  who  bore  the  reputation  of  a 
skilful  general,  in  spite  of  his  defeat  at  Lutter,  by  Till}^,  the 
lieutenant  of  Maximilian  of  Bavaria,  then  chief  of  the 
army  of  the  Catholic  league.    He  subsequentl}^  governed 


158 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


his  country  wisel}^,  sought  to  promote  the  happiness  of  his 
people,  and  left  behind  him  a  venerated  name. 

Thorvaldsen  readil}^  promised  the  king  to  execute  this 
statue,  but,  according  to  his  custom,  did  not  hurrj^  himself 
in  fulfilling  the  engagement.  Several  times  Christian  VIII 
reminded  him  of  his  promise  ;  sometimes  b}'  his  grand-mar- 
shal, sometimes  by  his  officers,  but  alwaj^s  without  success. 
One  evening,  meeting  at  a  ball  the  Baroness  von  Stampe, 
the  king  begged  her  to  use  her  influence  with  the  artist  in 
his  behalf.  But  the  baroness  had  no  better  success  than  her 
predecessors,  and  finding  her  arguments  of  no  avail  she 
again  had  recourse  to  a  stratagem. 

One  day,  when  the  sculptor  had  gone  to  walk,  she,  in  his 
absence,  took  possession  of  the  atelier,  and  began  to  model 
as  well  as  she  could  a  clay  sketch,  intended  to  represent  the 
monarch  Upon  Thorvaldsen's  return,  he  was  astonished  at 
finding  the  baroness  hard  at  work.  "  What  are  you  about 
there?"  he  asked.  "The  statue  of  the  king,''  replied  the 
baroness.  "  Since  I  have  pledged  my  word,  and  you  will 
not  do  it,  I  must  do  it  myself" 

The  artist  laughed  heartily,  and  began  to  criticise  the  work. 
"  Do  it  better  yourself,  then,"  said  the  baroness,  pretend- 
ing to  be  piqued,  "  you  who  make  fun  of  me.  I  defy  you  to 
find  an3'thing  to  alter  in  my  statue."  Thorvaldsen  could  not 
help  taking  up  the  clay  to  correct  the  proportions.  When 
he  had  once  begun,  he  finished  the  sketch,  and  afterward 
modelled  the  statue, ^  which  was  intended  for  a  marble  sar- 
cophagus in  one  of  the  chapels  of  Roeskilde.  It  was 
cast  in  bronze ;  but  its  destination  was  afterward  changed, 
and  it  is  now  in  the  little  garden  of  the  Rosenborg 
Palace. 

1  The  sketch  is  in  the  Museum,  but  the  small  plaster  model  is  at  Nysoe.  The  ofla- 
cer  sent  by  the  king  to  see  that  the  sculptor  did  not  neglect  the  work  expressed  one 
day  a  wish  to  have  the  model.  The  artist,  as  an  excuse  not  to  give  it  to  him,  said  he 
had  promised  it  to  Madame  von  Stampe.  He  told  the  story  to  the  baroness,  who  took 
him  at  his  word,  and  possessed  herself  of  the  plaster. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSFJsr. 


159 


The  greater  number  of  the  bas-reliefs  which  bear  date  of 
this  period^  are  signed  Nysoe.  Thorvaldsen,  however,  di- 
vided his  time  between  country  life  at  Stampeborg  and  town 
life  in  Copenhagen.  The  ladies  made  it  their  pleasure  to 
contribute  to  the  adornment  of  his  city  home,  and  scarcely 
a  day  passed  without  his  apartments  at  the  Charlottenborg 
receiving  some  new  embellishment,  —  an  object  of  art,  or 
some  piece  of  feminine  handiwork. 

Everybody  in  Copenhagen  now  knew  Thorvaldsen,  from 
having  visited  him  in  his  atelier :  but  the  old  man  could  not 
recollect  the  names  of  so  many  people,  though  he  remem- 
bered their  faces.  He  was  often  very  much  embarrassed,  when 
obliged  to  ask  to  whom  he  had  the  honor  of  speaking.  As 
he  was  invited  everywhere,  it  sometimes  happened  that  he 
did  not  know  the  name  of  his  host.  Herr  Thiele  relates  in 
this  connection  the  following  anecdote  :  — 

"  I  went,"  he  saj^s,  "  with  Thorvaldsen,  to  a  grand  banquet 
given  by  Herr  Mosting,  Privy  Counsellor  and  Minister  of 
State.  When  we  had  left  the  company,  and  were  coming 
home  together,  the  master  stopped  and  asked :  '  Who  is 
this  Herr  Steman?'  —  'What  Herr  Steman  do  you  mean?* 
—  '  Why,  the  man  whose  house  we  have  just  left.'  — '  You 
are  mistaken  :  that  is  the  Minister  of  State,  Herr  Mosting.'  — 
'  Eeally  I  *  exclaimed  Thorvaldsen,  stupefied  :  '  on  my  honor, 
I  had  no  idea  of  it.'  " 

Thanks  to  his  servant,  however,  the  artist  at  last  main- 
tained a  certain  method  in  this  business  of  dining  out.  At 
first,  he  was  governed  by  the  fancy  of  the  moment.  When 

1  Among  others,  "Diana  imploring  Jupiter  to  allow  her  to  remain  a  Virgin;" 
"  Cupid  and  Hygeia,"  modelled  upon  the  occasion  of  the  nuptial  festivities  of  the 
King  and  Queen  of  Denmark. 

"  Perseus  delivering  Andromeda,"  a  crowded  composition,  and  utterly  unlike  the 
artist's  usual  manner ;  "  The  Pilgrims  of  Emmaus,"  for  a  church  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Stampeborg;  "  Jesus  Blessing  Little  Children,"  intended  for  an  infant  asylum. 

"The  Genius  of  the  New  Year,"  composed  for  1  Jan.  1841;  "Jesus  and  the 
Woman  of  Samaria;"  "Love  Sleeping;"  "The  Sleeping  Psyche;"  and  "  Jesus  in 
the  Midst  of  the  Doctors." 


i6o 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


the  hour  drew  near,  he  would  look  over  the  papers  on  his 
table,  and,  from  among  the  four  or  five  invitations  which  he 
was  sure  to  find  there,  select  one  almost  by  accident.  But 
such  a  S3'stem  had  numberless  inconveniences  ;  and,  to  avoid 
giving  off'ence,  Thorvaldsen  was  obliged  to  change  it. 

Wilkens,  his  servant,  was  a  faithful,  systematic  fellow,  who 
knew  what  was  proper.  He  adopted  the  plan  of  writing 
down  all  his  master's  engagements  in  the  order  in  which  the}" 
were  received  ;  and,  after  that,  when  Thorvaldsen  was  urged 
to  accept  a  verbal  invitation,  he  would  repl}- :  "I  cannot 
promise.  See  Wilkens  :  he  will  tell  you  whether  I  am  disen- 
gaged. You  must  arrange  it  with  him."  The  servant  thus 
became  a  person  of  consequence.  Great  lords  intrigued  for 
the  first  place  on  his  list :  they  flattered  him  and  offered  him 
monej^,  but  nothing  could  alter  the  legitimate  order.  Wil- 
kens was  an  honest  man,  a  slave  to  truth,  and  absolutely 
incorruptible. 

In  consequence  of  this  arrangement,  people  frequently  did 
not  apply  to  the  artist  when  they  desired  his  compan}-  at 
dinner.  They  simply  wrote  their  names  on  the  servant's  list. 
When  the  hour  came,  and  while  Wilkens  was  helping  him 
dress,  Thorvaldsen  would  ask,  "  Where  am  I  going  to  dine 
to-day  ? "  and  as  Wilkens  always  went  with  him,  and  came 
for  him,  it  often  happened  that  the  old  master,  if  he  had  neg- 
lected to  inform  himself  beforehand,  did  not  know  who  it 
was  with  whom  he  was  dining.  So  true  it  is  that  great 
artists,  as  well  as  true  poets,  are  very  much  like  children,  in 
that  the}"  easily  allow  themselves  to  be  guided  by  others. 
Living,  as  they  do,  in  a  world  of  thought  and  imagination, 
they  often  behave  with  the  naivete  of  childhood  when  forced 
to  descend  to  the  level  of  ever3^-day  life. 

Upon  one  occasion,  Thorvaldsen  received  an  invitation 
from  the  king  himself.  His  majesty  had  come  with  the  queen 
to  the  atelier,  to  see  the  model  of  the  statue  of  Christian  IV, 
to  which  Thorvaldsen  was  putting  the  finishing  touches. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN-. 


I6l 


"  Herr  Counsellor,"  said  the  sovereign,  graciously,  as  he  was 
eaving,  "  I  engage  you  to  dine  with  me  next  Thursday." 
The  artist  gave  an  interrogative  glance  at  Wilkens,  who 
stood  by  the  door.  The  poor  servant,  red  with  embarrass- 
ment, dared  not  reply.  "Can  I  accept?"  said  his  master 
to  him:  "is  there  an}'  impediment?"  Wilkens  then  com- 
mitted the  imprudence  of  pronouncing  the  name  of  CErsted. 
"That's  true,"  quickly  replied  the  artist;  and,  turning 
toward  the  king,  —  "Your  Majesty  must  deign  to  excuse 
me.  I  really  cannot  accept.  Thursday  happens  to  be  the 
day  of  OErsted's  fete,  and  I  have  positively  promised  to  go 
to  Roeskilde."  While  the  courtiers  were  half  scandalized 
at  this  reply,  the  king  said,  with  a  kind  smile,  "  I  am  very 
sorry,  but  I  hope  to  be  more  fortunate  another  time." 

When  Wilkens,  according  to  his  custom,  had  come  for 
his  master  to  the  house  where  he  had  dined,  there  gen- 
erally ensued  a  series  of  nocturnal  peregrinations  through 
the  streets  of  the  city ;  for  dinners  could  not  satisfy  every- 
body, and  Thorvaldsen  was  also  obliged  to  present  himself 
at  evening  parties.  He  frequently  attended  two  or  three  of 
an  evening,  while  his  servant  waited  for  him  ;  but  if  the  artist 
were  delayed,  they  were  apt  to  enter  the  last  house  on  their 
list  just  as  all  the  other  guests  were  leaving  it.  If,  for  fear 
of  the  same  thing  occurring  two  nights  running,  his  domes- 
tic observed  respectfully  that  everything  went  wrong  the 
night  before,  Thorvaldsen,  to  console  his  faithful  servant, 
would  reply  :  "  That  is  true,  —  we  did  arrive  very  late  ;  but, 
at  all  events,  we  kept  our  word." 

Among  his  constant  visitors  was  an  old  man  of  unpre- 
tending exterior,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  coming  to  see  him 
almost  every  Sunday.  Thorvaldsen  always  gave  him  a  cor- 
dial welcome,  made  him  sit  by  him  on  his  sofa,  where  the 
two  had  a  long  and  friendly  conversation.  Did  the  artist 
really  enjoy  this  man's  societ}^  ?  It  is  hard  to  say,  though 
he  did  not  fail  to  appear  pleased.    How  much  his  visitor 


l62 


LIFE  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


enjoyed  himself  was  easil}"  seen  from  the  beaming  expression 
of  his  countenance. 

One  Sunday,  when  the  old  man  had  gone,  the  sculptor 
asked  his  servant  if  he  knew  him  ;  and,  upon  Wilkens  repiymg 
in  the  negative,  he  told  him  that  his  name  was  Thorvaldsen ; 
that  he  was  an  Icelander  by  birth,  and  toll-keeper  of  the 
Knippel  bridge  in  Copenhagen.  "Perhaps  he  wants  some 
assistance?"  said  Wilkens.  "  Not  at  all :  he  assures  me  that 
he  is  in  need  of  nothing,  —  wants  absolutely  nothing  ;  but  he 
thinks  he  is  a  relative  of  mine,  which  delights  him  greatl}'^ 
and  he  takes  pleasure  in  coming  to  see  me.  Let  him  come 
as  much  as  he  likes  —  the  worthy  man  !  I  shall  take  good 
care  not  to  undeceive  him,  since  this  mistaken  belief  makes 
him  happy." 

Unfortunately,  Thorvaldsen's  fits  of  melancholy  sometimes 
impaired  his  kindness  of  heart.  These  moods,  rare  in  his 
3^outh,  became  frequent  in  his  old  age,  and  were  apparently 
almost  causeless.  At  these  times,  his  thoughts  went  back 
with  pertinacity  to  those  occasions  in  his  life  when  he  had 
been  robbed,  or  been  the  victim  of  deception  ;  and  he  would 
become  misanthropical  past  all  endurance.  His  habit  was  to 
ensconce  himself  gloomily  in  a  corner  of  the  sofa,  and  refuse 
to  see  any  one.  Even  his  art  was  distasteful  to  him.  All 
efforts  to  rouse  him  from  this  unhappy  state  were  useless,  and 
in  vain  were  his  poor  servant's  endeavors  to  make  him  take 
some  recreation.  But,  as  soon  as  these  melancholy  fancies 
were  dissipated,  he  felt  sorry  for  whatever  harsh  words  he 
might  have  uttered,  and  did  his  best  to  make  amends. 

The  faithful  Wilkens  watched  carefully  over  his  master's 
health.  He  would  have  had  him  go  out  oftener  in  the  day- 
time, and  less  frequently  at  night.  After  working  hard  all 
the  morning,  the  old  man  required  out-of-door  exercise, 
which  he  took  regularly  at  Nysoe,  but  not  in  Copenhagen. 
There,  he  always  needed  some  inducement  to  go  out,  and 
to  have  one  always  read}^  taxed  Wilkens's  ingenuity  to  the 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


utmost.  If  he  could  propose  a  visit  to  the  atelier  of  an  artist, 
success  was  almost  certain ;  and,  when  once  he  was  able  to 
get  his  master  out,  he  would  contrive  to  take  the  longest 
way  home.  He  frequently  managed  to  pass  through  the 
street  in  which  Thorvaldsen  had  lived  in  his  boyhood,  and 
then  the  old  man  wonld  stop  before  No.  226,  Aabenraa, — 
the  house  wherv  he  had  resided  with  his  parents  before  he 
went  to  Rome,  —  and  look  at  it  from  top  to  bottom,  point  out 
to  Wilkens  the  windows  of  his  parents'  chamber  on  the  first 
floor,  and  that  of  the  little  closet  where  he  liad  spent  so 
many  nights  at  work.  One  day,  his  servant,  thinking  that 
he  would  no  doubt  like  to  go  into  these  rooms,  proposed  that 
they  should  enter  the  house ;  but  hardly  had  the  timid  old 
man  taken  a  step  forward,  when  he  turned  hastily.  "  No," 
said  he,  "let  us  go.  The}^  will  take  us  for  suspicious  charac- 
ters." Suspicious  himself,  he  thought  naturally  that  other 
people  were  equally  so. 

The  robbery  in  Rome,  of  which  he  had  been  the  victim,  had 
increased  this  natural  distrust ;  and  when  he  came  to  live  in 
Copenhagen,  he  had  had  made  a  strong  iron  safe,  to  hold  his 
collection  of  small  valuables.  For  a  long  time  it  remained 
in  his  room  unused,  until,  one  day,  Wilkens  proposed  to  put 
the  things  into  it.  "  No,"  said  the  old  man,  with  a  cunning 
smile,  "  all  those  things  are  very  well  where  they  are.  Let 
them  be.  It  would  be  a  good  joke  if  the  thieves  should  come 
into  my  room  and  carry  off  the  iron  safe.  I  wonder  who 
would  be  taken  in  then,  the}"  or  I  ?  " 

This  distrust  was  in  part  the  cause  of  his  parsimony  ;  ren- 
dering him  all  the  more  difficult  in  his  dealings  with  trades- 
people He  had  once  a  serious  quarrel  with  a  tailor  whose 
bill  he  thought  exorbitant.  A  misunderstanding  in  the  dis- 
cussion caused  him  to  think  that  his  confidence  had  been 
abused,  and  in  his  anger  he  uttered  the  word  "  cheating."  The 
tailor,  an  honest  man,  was  very  much  hurt,  and  went  away 
saying  that  he  would  take  nothing  for  his  work.    Struck  by 


164 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr, 


the  dignified  tone  of  the  man,  the  artist  called  his  servant, 
who  explained  the  mistake.  "  Wilkens,  this  man  is  right," 
said  Thorvaldsen,  "  and  I  owe  him  an  apology.  Let  us  go 
to  him  at  once : "  which  he  did,  Thorvaldsen  apologizing  so 
heartily  that  the  tailor  was  quite  overcome.  To  make  amends, 
he  ordered  on  the  spot  a  quantity  of  clothing  which  other- 
wise he  would  not  have  thought  of  getting ;  for  he  attached 
no  importance  to  dress,  and  was  never  disposed  to  renew  his 
wardrobe.  His  negligence  in  this  respect  was  the  despair 
of  his  servant,  who  had  a  keen  sense  of  what  befitted  the 
dignity  of  the  counsellor. 

To  aid  a  poor  painter,  the  sculptor  would  pa}^  three  times 
the  value  of  a  picture.^  Such  generosity  seemed  to  him  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world  ;  but  if  Wilkens  should  say 
to  him  a  few  moments  afterward,  "  The  shoes  of  Herr  Coun- 
sellor are  so  worn  that  the  white  lining  shows,"  he  would 
reply,— 

"  You  have  only  to  put  on  a  little  ink  and  it  won't  be 
seen." 

"  But,  Herr  Counsellor,  that  would  look  odd." 

"Odd!  does  it  hurt  anj-body?  Has  anyone  a  right  to 
prevent  me?"  the  old  man  would  rejoin,  getting  very  angry. 

The  following  anecdote  is  a  still  better  illustration  of  the 
extreme  concern  of  the  worthy  Wilkens  for  his  master's 
dignity. 

The  artist  had  always  been  fond  of  the  theatre,  but  the 
late  dinners  in  Copenhagen  entirely  deprived  him  of  this 
amusement.  In  order  to  enjoy  greater  liberty  in  this  respect, 
he  determined  that  as  a  rule  he  would  dine  at  home  if  Wil- 
kens's  wife  would  prepare  the  meals.  The  honest  couple  tried 
so  hard  to  please  him,  that  he  feared  he  was  giving  too  much 
trouble ;  and  this  fancy  so  disturbed  him,  that  he  devised  a 
plan  which  in  his  simplicity  he  imagined  would  work  well. 


1  It  is  to  Buch  liberality  we  must  attribute  the  number  of  mediocre  pictures  in  the 
nollection  of  the  master. 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


165 


He  accordingly  hinted  to  his  servant  that  his  wife  would  find 
it  less  inconvenient  if  they  all  took  their  meals  together ;  an 
arrangement  which  seemed  to  him  the  more  feasible  as  thej^ 
also  lodged  in  the  palace.  But  Wilkens,  with  his  respect  for 
propriet}",  could  not  for  a  moment  consider  so  monstrous  a 
proposition,  and  tried  by  various  pretexts  to  evade  it.  When 
Thorvaldsen  proposed  it  more  plainl}^,  he  opposed  it  chiefl}^ 
on  the  ground  of  the  difference  of  hours,  as  his  wife  and  he 
dined  much  too  early.  "  If  that  is  all,"  replied  the  old  man, 
"  the  thing  is  soon  settled :  let  us  compromise  the  matter. 
You  dine  a  little  later,  and  I  a  little  earlier,  and  then  we  shall 
agree."  Driven  to  the  wall,  Wilkens  was  finally  obliged  to 
give  the  true  reason  for  his  opposition.  "  What  will  the 
world  think,"  he  said,  "  when  it  hears  that  the  counsellor  dines 
with  his  servant  ?  " 

"  The  world  !  the  world  !  "  exclaimed  Thorvaldsen.  "  There 
you  are  again  with  your  world.  Have  I  not  told  you  a  thou- 
sand times  that  I  care  nothing  for  what  it  thinks  a  bout  such 
matters?  Am  I  not  free  to  live  as  I  please?  And  besides, 
Wilkens,  I  consider  that  you  are  quite  as  good  at  3'our  busi- 
ness as  I  am  at  mine  ; "  and  the  master  was  so  much  offended 
that  for  several  days  he  would  not  speak  to  his  servant. 

This  indifference  to  social  distinctions  shows  not  only  the 
simplicity  of  the  artist's  character,  but  how  little  he  was 
elated  by  his  great  success  in  life.  A  king  was  his  friend  ; 
had  been,  in  Rome,  almost  his  comrade.  He  had  sat  at  the 
tables  of  the  great,  of  princes,  and  of  crowned  heads,  —  had 
appeared  at  advantage  there,  —  yet  it  seemed  also  very  natu- 
ral to  him  to  sit  at  that  of  his  faithful  and  honest  Wilkens. 

If  he  esteemed  him,  what  mattered  the  rank?" 

He  still  went  into  society,  where  his  fame,  his  fine  appear- 
ance, affability,  and  honorable  character  won  for  him  uni- 
versal good-will.  Women  were  pleased  with  the  courteous 
manners  of  this  old  man,  whose  long  white  hair  so  well  set 
off  his  regular  features,  with  their  sweet  and  gracious  exprcs- 


1 66  LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


sion.  Above  all,  they  liked  to  see  him  in  his  atelier,  walking 
about  in  a  long  gray  dressing-gown,  and  a  black  velvet  cap 
on  his  white  head. 

When  he  was  obliged  to  present  himself  at  court,  or  at 
the  house  of  one  of  the  ministers,  to  select  the  decorations 
he  should  wear  became  a  matter  of  much  perplexity.  His 
crosses  and  stars  were  so  numerous  that  it  was  impossible  to 
place  them  all  on  his  breast.  Nevertheless,  he  did  not  attach 
any  undue  importance  to  these  distinctions.  To  him  the}^ 
were  simply  a  collection,^  interesting  merel}^  in  the  same  way 
as  his  engraved  stones  and  medals.  These  flattering  marks 
of  the  esteem  of  kings  had  not  made  him  vain,  an}'  more 
than  fame  and  fortune  had  made  him  proud.  His  simplicity 
of  character  he  retained  to  the  last.  If  he  sometimes  spoke 
of  his  favorite  works  —  though  this  was  very  rare  —  with  a 
just  appreciation  of  their  value,  he  never  did  so  in  a  con- 
ceited manner.  As  to  the  works  of  other  artists,  he  was  ever 
ready  to  admire  and  praise  them  sincerely :  his  complaisance 
in  this  respect  was  not  politic,  but  real.  If  a  work  of  art 
showed  any  spark  of  genius,  he  discovered  it  at  the  first 
glance,  and  took  pleasure  in  pointing  it  out  to  others.  The 
fits  of  misanthropy  to  which  he  was  subject,  and  which  ob- 
scured for  the  time  his  kindliness  of  heart,  might  render  him 
unjust  to  his  fellow-men,  and  mislead  him  as  to  their  worth 
and  character  ;  but  they  never  prevented  his  recognizing  the 
talent  of  any  artist  or  the  merit  of  his  work. 

This  fact  proves  that  his  misanthropy  was  an  extraneous, 
not  an  inherent  qualit}^,  and  also  that  the  jealousy  of  which 
artists  are  so  often  accused  was  entirel}^  foreign  to  his  nature. 
It  always  pleased  the  master  when  he  could  be  useful  to  his 
brother  artists ;  and  numerous  instances  might  be  given  of 
his  kind  disinterestedness.    Here  is  one  among  a  thousand  : 


^  They  were  all  arranged  in  one  casket ;  and  though  he  would  never  have  thought 
of  displaying  them  to  persons  of  his  own  sex,  he  sometimes  amused  himself  by  show- 
ing them  as  pretty  trinkets  to  ladies  who  visited  him. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


167 


The  King  of  Prussia  gave  a  commission  for  a  statue  to  Thor- 
valdsen.  "  Sire,"  replied  he,  "  there  is  at  this  moment  in  Rome 
one  of  your ,  faithful  subjects,  who  is  more  capable  than  I  of 
performing  to  your  satisfaction  the  task  with  which  jo\x  deign 
to  honor  me  :  permit  me  to  solicit  for  him  your  royal  favor." 
The  sculptor  thus  recommended  was  Rodolph  Schadow,  who 
was  then  in  embarrassed  circumstances.  By  this  act  of  kind- 
ness on  Thorvaldsen's  part,  he  received  the  commission,  and 
executed  a  charming  work,  called  "  The  Spinner." 


THE  GENIUS  OF  DEATH. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


169 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Departure  for  Rome. —  Reception  at  Berlin,  Dresden,  Leipsic,  Frank- 
fort, Mayence,  and  Stuttgart.  —  Banquet  given  at  Munich.  — 
"La  Societe  des  Hommes  sans  Gene."  —  Visit  to  King  Louis.  — 
Sojourn  in  Rome.  —  Return  to  Denraarlv.  —  The  Artist  and  his 
Museum.—  "The  Genius  of  Sculpture."—  Death  of  Thorvaldsen. 
—  His  Funeral. 


Thorvaldsen  had  come 
back  to  his  native  coun- 
try with  the  intention  of 
ending  his  career  in  Den- 
mark ;  but,  on  leaving 
Rome,  he  had  promised 
himself  that  he  would 
return  once  more,  were 
It  only  to  make  a  brief 
sta}^,  to  the  city  where  the 
most  important  period  of 
his  life  had  been  passed. 
Some  unfinished  works 
were  awaiting  him  in  his 
old  atelier,  around  which 
clustered  the  memories 
of  fort3^-two  years  of  his 
prolific  artistic  life. 
Only  an  opportunity  was  needed  to  decide  him  to  under- 
take the  journey;  and  this  the  sculptor  found  when  the 
Baron  v^on  Stampe  announced  his  intention  of  going  to  Italy 


THE  ANGEL  OF  BAPTISM. 


LIFE  OF  TIIOBVALDSEX. 


with  his  familj^  The  friends  resolved  to  travel  in  company 
across  the  continent ;  Thorvaldsen  wishing  to  see  again  those 
of  his  works  which  now  ornamented  the  public  squares  of 
some  of  the  larger  cities  of  German}'.  The}^ '  set  out  the 
21st  of  May,  1841. 

The  extraordinary  festivities  occasioned  by  the  artist's 
return  to  his  country  find  a  natural  exi3lanation  in  the  just 
admiration  of  compatriots  for  a  fame  which  flattered  their 
national  pride.  The  ovations  following  one  upon  another 
during  the  whole  journey  of  the  Danish  sculptor  through 
Germany  present  a  spectacle  which  to-day  may  appear 
strange  ^ 

In  Berlin,  the  royal  family  invited  Thorvaldsen  to  pass  the 
evening  at  the  Chateau  Schonhausen  (May  30, 1841).  A  few 
days  later  (June  3),  the  artists  of  that  cit}^  gave  him  a  grand 
banquet  at  Jagor's  restaurant,  when,  to  show  unmistakably 
that  he  is  the  hero  of  the  occasion,  the}^  place  his  bust  in  a 
bower  of  green  leaves,  together  with  Ranch's  famous  statue 
of  Victory,  so  arranged  that  the  goddess  seems  to  be  setting 
her  crown  upon  Thorvaldsen's  head. 

In  Dresden,  the  King  of  Saxony  hastened  to  invite  him 
to  be  present  at  a  special  performance  at  the  new  theatre 
(June  12).  A  court  carriage  came  for  him  at  the  hotel  and 
took  him  to  the  theatre,  where  he  had  a  seat  in  the  royal 
box.  Hardly  does  he  appear  when  all  present  welcome  him 
with  cheers ;  and,  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  at  the  end  of 
the  play  the  curtain  again  rises,  and,  by  way  of  epilogue,  an 
actress  comes  forward  to  salute  him  in  the  name  of  dramatic 
art. 

Mendelssohn,  whom  we  have  lately  seen  arriving  in  Rome, 
young  and  buoyant,  and  delighting  the  sculptor  by  playing 
the  piano  in  his  atelier,  was  now  living  in  Leipsic.  Thor- 
valdsen remembered  this  on  arriving  in  that  town,  and  the 

1 "  The  Kunstblatt"  of  1841  has  published  the  most  circumstantial  account  of  this 
journey  through  Germany. 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEJSr. 


171 


composer  was  overjoj^ed  by  a  visit  from  his  old  friend.  He 
arranged  a  musical  fete  in  his  honor,  followed  by  a  banquet 
at  the  Hotel  de  JSaxe,  while  in  the  evening  students  carrying 
torches  came  singing  in  chorus  under  the  artist's  windows. 

From  Leipsic  Thorvaldsen  went  to  see  Goethe's  monu- 
ment at  Frankfort,  and  Gutenberg's  at  Ma3'ence.  He  ar- 
rived at  the  latter  city  in  the  evening  (June  29th).  The 
municipality,  apprised  of  the  presence  of  the  sculptor, 
escort  him  to  the  sound  of  music,  and  by  the  light  of 
torches.  The  next  day  the  president  of  the  grand-ducal 
government  of  Hesse  comes  for  him  with  a  numerous  suite 
to  conduct  him  to  the  statue  of  the  Inventor  of  Printing : 
the  monument  is  decorated  for  the  occasion  with  garlands, 
the  square  is  filled  with  people,  speeches  and  cheers  abound. 
The  following  day  the  theatre  gave  a  special  performance  in 
honor  of  "  the  honorary  citizen  of  the  cit}",  the  Chevalier 
Thorvaldsen." 

At  Stuttgart  there  were  similar  ovations.  The  Square  in 
which  stands  the  Schiller  monument  was  illuminated  with 
Bengal  lights  on  the  night  of  the  master's  arrival  (July  6th)  ; 
and  he  was  serenaded  by  the  Society  of  Friends  of  Song, 
and  enthusiastically  cheered  b}^  the  crowd.  Earlj^  the  next 
day  a  deputation  from  the  magistrates  and  the  college  of 
burghers  came  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  man  who  had  en- 
dowed the  city  with  so  fine  a  monument,  and  to  present  him 
with  the  thanks  of  the  corporation.  The  diploma  of  honor- 
ary citizenship  is  given  him  the  following  day  at  a  grand  re- 
past at  Silberbourg  Palace.  At  midnight  all  the  company 
form  a  torchlight  procession,  and  conduct  him  back  to  his 
hotel. 

Thorvaldsen  now  proceeded  to  Munich,  where  he  saw 
again  his  statue  of  Maximilian  I  in  the  Wittelsbachplatz. 
There  is  in  this  city  a  club  of  savans,  who  call  themselves 
JSociete  des  Hommes  sans  Gene,  They  gave  the  sculptor  (July 
I5th)  a  banquet  in  a  truly  characteristic  German  style. 


1/2 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


One  of  the  members,  Schelliiig,  begins  by  wishing  the 
artist  a  long  life.  So  far  there  is  nothing  out  of  the  waj^ ; 
but  now  follows  a  series  of  Germanic  eccentricities.  Mar- 
tins calls  upon  the  spirits  of  nature  and  tropical  heat  (it  was 
the  month  of  July)  to  glorify  this  happy  day.  Steiglitz 
chants  in  Greek  verses  the  joy  of  les  liommes  sans  gene, 
at  having  among  them  a  master  in  classic  art.  A  dead  lan- 
guage will  not  serve  the  orientalist  Naumann  :  he  celebrates 
the  fame  of  Thorvaldsen  in  five  living  languages  succes- 
sively,—  German,  English,  French,  Armenian,  and  Chinese! 
It  was  a  great  honor,  to  be  sure,  for  the  sculptor,  who  made 
no  pretensions  to  being  a  savant.  But  this  is  not  all :  a  dis- 
course follows,  much  enjoyed  and  applauded,  in  which  the 
orator,  treating  of  art  and  industry,  portrays  "  the  wonder- 
ful and  laughable  quarrel  of  Thorvaldsen  with  the  devil." 
(What  had  the  devil  to  do  in  the  business?)  Weichsel- 
brenner  is  more  serious  :  he  delivers  an  essay  on  the  artist's 
works,  passing  them  all  in  review,  and  rapidly  sketching  the 
story  of  his  life. 

Is  this  all  ?  Not  quite !  The  biographer  from  whom  we 
borrow  these  particulars  states  that  Forster  proposed  a 
toast  in  rhyme  "  to  the  wine-cask  crowned  with  m3Ttle  and 
laurel,  always  full  of  fine  and  generous  wines,"  &c.  But 
enough  of  this.  Nevertheless,  we  have  not  come  to  the  end 
of  the  chapter  of  eccentricities.  The  traveller  was  allowed 
s(arcel3^  time  to  breiithe.  The  Society  of  Friends  of  the 
Arts,  two  days  afterward,  organized  a  fete  where  allegory  was 
the  order  of  the  day.  In  a  m34hological  interlude,  Mercury 
appears  enveloped  in  a  fur  mantle,  in  ironical  allusion  to 
the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  announces  that  the  "  Final 
Judgment,"  a  burlesque  in  one  act,  in  prose,  is  now  to  be 
represented.  It  relates  to  a  quarrel  supposed  to  be  going  on 
between  difl'erent  cities,  as  to  which  has  the  right  to  claim 
Thorvaldsen.  Schiller  pleads  the  cause  of  Stuttgart,  Guten- 
berg of  Mayence.  Maximilian  I  advances  on  horseback  as  the 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


173 


advocate  of  Munich.  Christian  IV,  the  champion  of  Copen- 
hagen, is  not  disposed  to  3  ield  his  rights.  Nor  are  orators 
wanting  to  maintain  those  of  Rome,  Warsaw,  and  other 
cities.  But  now  Juno,  who  sits  beside  Jupiter,  grows  so  ex- 
cited in  listening  to  this  debate,  that  she  takes  part  in  it  her- 
self, and  declares  that  Olympus  ought  rather  to  claim  so 
great  an  artist.  The  king  of  gods  knits  his  awful  brow, 
the  quarrel  angers  him :  in  a  tremendous  voice  he  pro- 
nounces his  decision,  Thorvaldsen  belongs  to  the  whole 
universe  ! " 

King  Louis,  the  master's  illustrious  friend,  was  no.t  at  this 
time  in  Munich,  but  at  the  baths  of  Brtickenau.  As  soon  as 
he  was  informed  of  Thorvaldsen's  arrival,  he  hastened  to 
write  to  him,  July  17,  1841. 

"  I  have  most  earnestly  desired  to  see  again  at  Munich  my  old  and 
excellent  friend  Thorvaldsen,  the  greatest  of  all  the  sculptors  since 
the  most  flourishing  times  of  Greece,  and  to  do  him  the  honors  of  my 
capital,  where  the  most  beautiful  monument  which  has  come  from  his 
hands  excites  general  admiration.  The  equestrian  statue  of  the 
elector  Maximilian  I  has  never  been  surpassed. 

"  Not  being  able  to  give  you  in  person  the  cross  of  the  Order  of 
Merit  of  St.  Michael  which  I  proposed  to  confer  upon  you,  I  have 
ordered  the  minister  of  my  household  and  of  foreign  affairs  to  pre- 
sent it  to  you.  Pray  accept  it  as  a  token  of  the  good  intentions  of 
him  who  knows  how  to  appreciate  what  the  world  owes  to  you." 

Thorvaldsen  was  unwilling  to  leave  Bavaria  without  see- 
ing King  Louis  ;  and  this  prince  having  shortly  after  repaired 
to  his  castle  of  Hohenschwangau  in  the  T3T0I,  the  sculp- 
tor hastened  there  to  visit  the  royal  family.  He  had  just 
received  a  very  friendly  letter  from  the  King  of  Denmark, 
charging  him  to  present  his  compliments  to  his  old  friend  the 
King  of  Bavaria.  These-  two  princes,  in  their  youth,  had 
become  acquainted  at  Rome. 

The  triumphal  journey  of  the  artist  through  Germany  had 
greatl}^  fatigued  him :  entering  Switzerland  by  Lindau,  he 


174 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


went  to  Zurich  and  Lucerne,  and  stayed  a  month  in  that 
neighborhood,  to  rest  awhile  before  crossing  the  St.  Gothard 
into  Italy.  He  merely  passed  through  Milan,  Genoa,  and 
Leghorn,  and  remained  onty  two  days  in  Florence,  in  spite 
of  the  cordial  reception  he  received  from  the  artists  in  that 
cit}^    The  12th  September  he  arrived  in  Rome. 

The  next  day,  a  deputation,  headed  by  the  president,  the 
ex-president,  and  vice-president  of  the  Academy  of  St.  Luke, 
came  to  offer  him  the  congratulations  of  the  artists  in  Rome. 
His  return  was  also  celebrated,  some  da^'s  later,  by  a  grand 
banquet.  The  first  two  months  of  Thorvaldsen's  visit  were 
entirely  taken  up  in  renewing  his  intercourse  with  old  friends. 
His  health  was  not  so  much  benefited  by  the  climate  of  Ital^^ 
as  he  had  hoped  ;  and  he  was  troubled  for  the  first  time  with 
pain  in  his  chest,  which  aff'ected  him  seriously  enough  to  occa- 
sion the  following  remark,  in  a  letter  written  November  8th, 
1841  :  "  Thorvaldsen  thinks  he  is  attacked  by  phthisis,  and 
that  he  will  die  of  it."  It  was  under  this  impression  that  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  return,  the  following  spring,  to  Copen 
hagen.  He  prolonged  his  sta}",  however,  be3^ond  that  time, 
passing  the  greater  part  of  the  year  1842  in  Rome,  and  not 
returning  to  Denmark  until  October. 

He  was,  during  the  interval,  principall}'-  occupied  with  his 
religious  works,  —  among  others,  a  series  of  small  bas-reliefs 
illustrative  of  the  life  of  Christ :  "  The  Adoration  of  the 
Shepherds,"  "The  Flight  into  Eg3^yt,"  "  Jesus  in  the  Midst 
of  the  Doctors,"  "The  Baptism  of  Christ,"  "Christ's  Entry 
into  Jerusalem." 

These  subjects  must  have  been  intended  to  form  part  of  3 
more  complete  series,  as  drawings  have  been  found,  made  a\ 
the  same  period,  and  now  preserved  in  the  museum,  repre- 
senting "  The  Marriage  of  the  Virgin,"  "  Joseph's  Dream,'* 
"  The  Adoration  of  the  Magi,"  "The  Circumcision,"  "The 
Resurrection,"  "The  Daughter  of  Jairus,"  "  Jesus  tempted  by 
the  Devil,"  "The  Buj  crs  and  Sellers  driven  from  the  Temple," 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN,^ 


1/5 


'  The  Canaanite  Woman,"  "  The  Treason  of  Judas,"  "  The 
Entombment." 

The  model  for  a  new  group  of  "  The  Three  Graces,"  or- 
dered by  the  King  of  Wurtemburg,  was  also  made  in  Rome, 
[t  differs  in  many  respects  from  the  one  already  mentioned. 

Thorvaldsen  was  long  in  deciding  upon  the  route  he  should 
/ake  in  returning  home.  The  fear  of  new  ovations,  or,  as 
Jie  wrote,  "  the  annoyance  of  exhibiting  one's  self  all  through 
Europe,  like  a  curious  animal,"  made  him  think  of  going  by 
sea.  Then  he  changed  his  mind  :  he  would  cross  France  to 
see  Paris,  going  from  Leghorn  to  Marseilles,  and  re-embarking 
at  Havre.  But  this  plan  was  again  modified.  During  the 
voyage  from  Leghorn  to  Marseilles,  he  reflected  that,  if  he 
went  b}"  wa}^  of  Paris,  he  should  find  himself  tempted  to 
remain  there  some  time,  in  order  to  see  properl}^  that  great 
city,  where  he  had  never  been.  On  the  other  hand,  he  was 
anxious  to  get  back  to  Copenhagen,  for  he  had  heard  that 
his  museum  was  finished.  Determined  by  this  last  consid- 
eration not  to  prolong  his  absence,  he  stopped  two  days  only 
at  Marseilles  (5th  to  7th  of  October,  1842),  and  went  thence 
directl}^  to  Strasbourg. 

Passing  rapidly  through  Manheim,  Mayence,  Frankfort, 
Cassel,  Hanover,  and  Hamburg,  he  arrived  at  Kiel,  where  a 
frigate  of  the  rojsl  navy,  the  "  Frederick  VI,"  was  waiting  to 
convey  him  to  Copenhagen.  His  first  care  upon  arriving 
was  to  go  to  his  museum,  which  had  been  built  according  to 
the  plans  of  the  architect  Bindesboll.  A  public  subscription 
defrayed  the  greater  part  of  the  expense  ;  and  the  cit}^,  with 
the  royal  approbation,  made  up  the  rest.  The  edifice  was 
begun  in  1839  ;  and  the  exterior,  including  the  roof,  was  fin- 
ished in  1841. 

It  was  here  that  the  city  council  and  the  committee  of 
public  works  received  Thorvaldsen,  the  day  after  his  return. 
He  went  over  the  whole  of  the  great  building,  which  had 
been  hung  with  garlands  for  the  occasion,  expressing  every- 


1/6 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


where  the  liveliest  interest,  until  he  reached  the  inner  court, 
the  spot  where  he  was  one  day  to  be  buried,  —  for  the  edifice 
erected  to  perpetuate  his  fame  was  also  to  be  his  tomb,  — 
and  to  those  present  it  seemed  as  if  the  future  had  already 
begun  for  the  master.  The  sculptured  marble  alone  was  to 
remain,  the  man  was  to  return  to  the  dust.  Bending  toward 
the  earth  his  venerable  head,  the  old  man  remained  for  a  few 
moments  absorbed  in  thought ;  but  soon  the  artist  roused 
himself  and  walked  on  with  head  erect.  Yes  :  he  would  live 
again  in  his  works,  which  were  all  to  stand  there  around  his 
mortal  ashes,  ever  living  witnesses  of  his  immortal  genius. 
Did  such  thoughts  pass  through  his  mind  ?  Those  around 
him  were  filled  with  emotion,  but  no  one  dared  question 
him. 

Thorvaldsen  was  now  in  his  seventy-second  year.  His 
mind  had  lost  none  of  its  power :  there  was  still  the  same 
productive  energy,  the  same  creative  facility.  His  execution 
alone  was  unequal.  Henceforward  we  find  no  longer  in  his 
modelling  that  perfect  finish  which  excites  our  admiration  in 
a  great  number  of  his  former  works  ;  especially  in  those  exe- 
cuted in  Rome,  in  the  fulness  of  his  power  and  of  his  fame. 
It  would  not  be  just,  therefore,  to  judge  the  artist  by  his  last 
productions,  though  many  of  them  are  still  worthy  of  his 
genius  :  for  instance,  the  colossal  bust  of  Frederick  VI,  made 
for  the  monument  erected  to  this  prince  in  Jutland,  on  the 
hill  upon  which  stands  the  Chateau  Skanderborg,  and  the 
four  bas-reliefs  ornamenting  the  pedestal,  —  The  Abolition 
of  Serfdom,"  "  The  Institution  of  the  Provincial  States," 
"  The  Protection  of  Science  and  the  Arts,"  "  The  Adminis- 
tration of  Justice." 

A  charming  medallion,  representing  the  angels  keeping 
Christmas  in  heaven,  also  belongs  to  the  end  of  the  ye&v 
1842.  The  King  of  Denmark  was  so  delighted  with  it  that 
he  ordered  directly  a  copy  in  marble.  The  bust  of  the  Bar- 
oness von  Stampe  is  of  the  same  period. 


mFE  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


177 


The  following  year,  the  artist  executed  the  model  for  the 
colossal  statue  of  Hercules.  In  spite  of  the  imperfections  of 
this  work,  the  vigor  of  mind  it  displays,  considering  the  mas- 
ter's age,  is  astonishing.  He  also  made  the  sketch  for  the 
statue  of  -^sculapius,  intended  as  a  companion  to  the  above. 
Both  were  cast  in  bronze,  for  the  facade  of  the  roj^al  palace 
of  Christiansborg,  in  Copenhagen. 1 

A  number  of  medallions  appeared  at  the  same  time,  — 
the  Genii  of  Sculpture,  Painting,  Architecture,  Poetr}',  and 
Harmony ;  afterward,  "  The  Three  Genii  of  the  Arts  of 
Design."  In  1844  the  artist  made  repetitions,  varied,  of 
most  of  these  works. 

But  we  must  mention  particularly,  on  account  of  the  atten- 
tion it  excited  in  Denmark,  a  more  important  composition, 
the  bas-relief  known  as  "  The  Genius  of  Peace."  The  Genius 
is  kneeling,  holding  a  dish,  out  of  which  a  lion  and  an  eagle 
are  eating  together,  while  beside  him  is  a  dog.  This  was 
thought  to  be  an  allusion  to  the  approaching  marriage  of 
the  prince  royal  of  Denmark  to  a  Russian  grand-duchess, 
and  was  mentioned  in  the  political  journals.  Wilkens  ha^ang 
reported  their  comments  to  his  master,  —  Since  it  is  so," 
said  Thorvaldsen,  "  I  shall  add  the  Phr3'gian  cap  to  my  com- 
position ; "  and  the  same  day  he  placed  this  emblem  on  the 
head  of  the  allegorical  figure,  and  also  on  a  liberty-tree. 

Among  the  figures  representing  genii,  by  means  of  which 
he  was  accustomed,  in  his  later  years,  to  symbolize  philo- 
sophic ideas  and  the  various  phases  of  art,  the  Genius  of 
Sculpture  naturally  interested  him  more  than  any  other. 
At  Nysoe,  in  1843,  he  had  portrayed  him  seated  before  a  bas- 
relief  representing  the  birth  of  Minerva,  —  thought  springing 
from  the  brain  and  taking  form.  But  this  composition,  though 
a  happy  one,  had  not  satisfied  him  ;  and  he  returned  once  more 
to  this  subject,  placing  the  Genius  on  the  eagle's  back,  at  the 


» See  Catalogue. 


178 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN, 


foot  of  the  statue  of  Jupiter.  This  new  bas-relief  pleased 
him  no  better  ;  and  the  20th  of  March,  1844,  he  drew  in  chalk 
on  a  slate  a  third  design,  now  in  the  Copenhagen  Museum, 
in  which  the  Genius,  with  the  audacity  of  conscious  power, 
is  perched  upon  the  shoulder  of  Olympian  JoA^e  himself. 
This  was  the  sculptor's  last  composition,  for  we  have  now 
reached  the  end  of  this  long  and  prolific  career. 

At  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  Sunday,  March 
24th,  the  artist,  feeling  unwell,  rang  for  his  servant.  He  had 
passed  a  bad  night,  and  had  not  been  able  to  sleep.  Wilkens 
tried  to  calm  him,  begging  him,  however,  to  keep  his  bed. 
But  he  rose,  took  a  book,  and  settled  himself  upon  his  sofa  ; 
and  soon  afterward,  overcome  with  fatigue,  fell  asleep.  When 
he  awoke,  at  about  eight  o'clock,  he  took  his  glass  of  milk 
and  roll  as  usual,  and  passed  the  whole  morning  in  work. 

The  Baroness  von  Stampe  having  invited  him  to  dinner, 
he  excused  himself,  and  replied  that  he  intended  to  stay  at 
home.  This  lady  came  to  press  her  invitation,  and  found 
him  occupied  in  modelling  the  bust  of  Luther.  He  3ielded 
to  her  entreaties,  and  laid  down  before  the  bust  his  handful 
of  clay,  thrusting  into  it  his  moulding-tool.  The  unfinished 
w^ork  is  preserved  under  glass  in  the  Museum,  and  the  impress 
of  the  master's  hand  on  the  morsel  of  clay  is  still  visible. 

He  left  the  house  with  Madame  von  Stampe,  paid  a  few 
visits,  and  went  to  the  baron's  to  dine.  He  talked  gayly,  was 
amused  b}'  a  humorous  article  in  a  newspaper,  and  said  sport- 
ively, in  speaking  of  his  museum,  "  Now  I  can  die  when  I 
choose,  —  BindesboU  has  finished  m}^  tomb."  A  few  moments 
afterward,  on  his  wa}^  to  the  theatre,  he  met  this  architect, 
and  they  exchanged  a  friendly  greeting. 

One  year  precisely  before  this  epoch,  the  poet  Andersen, 
greatly  moved  by  the  news  of  a  recent  tragic  occ*arrence, 
came  to  relate  it  to  Thorvaldsen.  Admiral  Wulff,  celebrated 
in  Denmark  as  the  translator  of  Shakespeare  and  B^Ton,  was 
taken  ill  at  the  Theatre  Eoyal  during  the  play.   He  was  driven 


LIFE  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


179 


home  in  a  carriage,  but  upon  arriving  at  his  door  was  found 
dead  by  the  driver.  "  Well,"  exclaimed  the  sculptor,  with 
an  energy  which  amazed  Andersen,  "  is  not  that  an  admira- 
ble way  to  die,  and  one  to  be  envied  ?  "  ^ 

It  was  just  a  year  from  that  time  that  Andersen  met  the 
artist  on  his  way  to  the  theatre.  Thorvaldsen  urged  him  to 
come  with  him  ;  but  the  poet,  impatient  to  commit  to  writing 
some  new  work  of  his  imagination,  refused.  Thorvaldsen 
entered  the  theatre  alone,  and  took  his  usual  seat  in  the  par- 
quet. A  lady,  coming  in  afterward,  was  obliged  to  pass  before 
him.  In  order  to  make  room,  he  rose  ;  and  the  lad}^,  turning 
to  thank  him,  saw  him  stooping  down.  "  Have  you  lost  any- 
thing, sir?"  she  asked.  Thorvaldsen  did  not  reply.  It  was 
now  seen  that  he  was  ill,  and  people  ran  to  his  assistance. 
He  was  carried  in  great  haste  to  the  Charlottenborg  Palace, 
which  adjoins  the  theatre,  and  laid  on  his  sofa.  A  physician 
hastened  to  open  a  vein ;  but  no  blood  came.  The  great 
artist  had  ceased  to  live. 

The  next  day  the  sad  news  spread  quickly  through  the 
whole  city,  filling  it  with  dismay.  The  funeral  ceremonies 
took  place  on  Saturday,  March  30,  1844,  and  were  marked  by 
a  royal  pomp.  The  whole  nation,  so  to  speak,  followed  the 
venerated  master  to  the  tomb.  He  was  laid  in  state,  in 
the  hall  of  antique  sculpture  in  the  Charlottenborg  Palace. 
There,  in  a  coffin  richly  decorated  with  wreaths, ^  with  face 
uncovered,  and  brow  crowned  with  laurel,  he  lay,  surrounded 
by  the  masterpieces  of  ancient  Greece,  whose  spirit  lived 
again  in  his  works. 

It  was  here  that  the  deputations  met  to  join  the  friends  of 
the  deceased.  When  they  were  all  assembled,  the  artists 
intoned  the  chant  of  farewell,  and  the  coffin  was  closed.  On 
its  lid  was  engraved  the  master's  statue  of  himself :  on  the 

1  We  had  this  anecdote  from  Herr  Andersen  himself,  when  we  called  upon  him  in 
Copenhagen. 

2To  M.  Dotezac,  French  Minister  to  Copenhagen,  who  was  present  at  the  cere- 
mony, I  am  indebted  for  some  of  these  details. 


i8o 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


pall  lay  his  chisel,  amid  branches  of  laurel  and  palm.  Among 
the  wreaths  was  one  of  flowers,  woven  by  the  Queen  of 
Denmark. 

A  doctor  of  theology,  Professor  Clausen,  delivered  an 
address,  and  the  procession  began  its  march  through  the 
New  Market,  East  Street,  Amakplads,  Vimmelskaftet,  and 
New  Streets.  Every  house  was  hung  with  black,  the  crowd 
was  grave  and  silent ;  not  a  sound  was  heard,  save  the  tolling 
of  the  funeral  knell  from  the  towers  of  all  the  churches,  and 
the  chanting  of  choirs  stationed  in  the  belfries. 

From  the  windows,  women  cast  flowers  before  the  coffin, 
borne  by  fortj'  artists.  As  soon  as  the  cortege  approached 
the  Frue  Kirke,  the  king  in  person,  accompanied  by  the 
prince  royal,  advanced  to  meet  it  at  the  entrance  of  the 
church.  There,  in  the  presence  of  Thorvaldsen's  religious 
works,  was  celebrated  the  funeral  service.  The  prior  of  the 
cathedral,  the  Rev.  Herr  Tryde,  preached  a  sermon ;  and 
after  the  ceremonj^  the  crowd  dispersed  slowly  and  quietly. 
They  felt  that  the  whole  nation  had  met  with  a  grievous 
loss. 

The  remains  of  the  illustrious  sculptor  rested  nearly  four 
years  in  a  chapel  of  the  Frue  Kirke,  awaiting  the  completion 
of  the  interior  of  the  museum ;  and  it  was  not  until  Sept.  6, 
1848,  that  the  body  was  laid  in  the  vault,  in  the  centre  of  the 
Thorvaldsen  Museum.  There,  amid  the  rich  collection  of 
the  master's  works,  repose  to-day  his  mortal  remains. 


M  !<:  R  C  U  K  \ 


PART  II. 

WORKS  or  THORVALDSEK 


FIGURE  FROM  THE  FRIEZE,  "  THE  TRIUMPH  OF   ALEXANDER.  " 


WOEKS  OF  THGBVALDSEN.  183 


CHAPTER  I. 

Influence  of  the  French  School  upon  Art  in  Denmark,  from  the  time 
of  Louis  XIV.  —  The  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Copenhagen.  — 
Revival  of  Art  in  Italy  under  Winckelmann. 

A  PUPIL  of  the  Copenhagen  School  of 
Fine  Arts,  Thorvaldsen  produced  his 
works  under  the  influence  of  the  theo- 
ries advanced  by  Winckelmann  at  the 
close  of  the  last  century.  It  is  impos- 
sible, therefore,  to  form  a  just  estimate 
of  his  worth  and  individuality  as  an 
artist,  without  giving  at  least  a  short 
account  of  the  state  of  art  in  Denmark 
at  the  time  of  the  sculptor's  birth, 
and  of  the  reaction  which  had  spread 
through  Italy  when  he,  a  mere  youth, 
took  up  his  abode  there  ;  for,  however 
great  may  be  an  artist's  individuality, 
he  cannot  remain  unaflTected  by  sur- 
rounding influences 

The  progress  of  the  fine  arts  in  Den- 
mark is  closely  connected  with  the 
histor}^  of  the  French  school.  Poussin 
studied  in  Pome ;  also  Lebrun,  the 
painter  of  Louis  XIV,  and  the  real  founder  of  the  French 
Academy  in  that  city.  During  the  last  half  of  the  seven- 
teenth centur}'',  all  through  Europe,  in  Italy,  German}^,  and 
the  North,  the  influence  of  the  French  school  was  dominant. 


1 84  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEJST. 


Everywhere  in  these  countries,  in  churches,  palaces,  castles, 
we  meet  either  with  immense  paintings  in  the  florid  style  of 
Lebrun,  or  with  statues  which  recall,  b}^  their  ambitious  ele- 
gance, the  manner  of  the  Coustous. 

To  Lebrun  succeeded  Mignard  ;  and  after  him  came  Wat- 
teau,  Boucher,  the  painters  of  fetes  cliampetres ;  Lancret, 
Pater,  the  sculptor  Clodion,  and  many  others.  In  sculpture, 
as  in  painting,  grace,  as  the  chief  end  in  view,  came  to  be 
substituted  for  the  grand  style  of  the  age  of  Louis  XIV, 
with  its  conventional  dignity,  its  imposing  and  sometimes 
exaggerated  splendors.  A  new  style,  full  of  mannerisms  and 
elegant  artifices,  was  now  the  fashion,  —  a  stj^le  alread}^  very 
far  removed  from  the  point  of  departure  of  the  French  school, 
but  which,  being  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  thought  and 
taste  of  the  period,  wielded  an  influence  felt  ever3'where 
throughout  Europe. 

In  the  North,  from  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  these  changes 
can  be  even  more  distinctly  traced  than  elsewhere.  Born  in 
Copenhagen,  Thorvaldsen  was  not  uninfluenced  b}'  the  gen- 
eral current  of  thought,  as  we  might  at  first  suppose.  When 
he  came  into  the  world,  the  arts,  and  especially  sculpture, 
were  cultivated  with  success  in  Denmark. ^ 

It  is  true  that  previous  to  the  reign  of  Charles  V  (1670- 
1699),  the  Danish  painters  were  influenced  by  the  Dutch 
\  '  school ;  but,  by  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  centur}^,  French 
ideas  were  disseminated  among  them,  and  held  thenceforward 
absolute  supremac3^  The  national  genius,  let  us  remark, 
3delded  easily  to  French  influence,  while  it  rejected  that  of 
countries  less  remote. 

1  It  is  well  known  what  an  important  part  the  countries  of  the  North  formerly 
played  in  the  political  affairs  of  Europe.  There  are  still  vestiges  in  the  city  of  Co- 
penhagen of  the  ancient  magnificence  of  her  kings.  A  visit  to  the  Rosenberg  Castle, 
which  contains  so  many  valuable  relics  of  the  past,  vases,  precious  stones,  objects  of 
art  of  all  kinds,  is  sufficient  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  former  splendor  of  the  Danish 
court,  —  to-day  so  dignified  in  its  simplicity. 

This  taste  for  the  rich  and  brilliant,  this  love  of  beautiful  things,  we  ought  to  add, 
was  already  diffused  in  the  time  of  Christian  IV  (1588-1648). 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN-.  185 


During  the  reign  of  Christian  Y,  a  French  painter,  Jacques 
d'Agar,  was  settled  in  Copenhagen  as  portrait  painter  to  the 
court ;  and  another  artist,  French  also,  the  sculptor  Abraham 
Caesar  L'Amoureux,  executed  in  1688  the  equestrian  statue 
of  the  king.  This  statue,  akeady  referred  to  in  the  biog- 
raphy of  Thorvaldsen,  was  cast  in  lead,  and  erected  in  the 
centre  of  the  Place  Royale  (Kongens  Nytorv).  The  mon- 
arch tramples  under  the  feet  of  his  horse  a  demon  represent- 
ing envy,  which  writhes  with  hate  and  base  anger.  This 
work,  though  not  wanting  in  force,  is  both  sensational  and 
pretentious. 

Frederick  IV  and  Christian  VI  protected  the  arts.^  In 
their  reigns  the  French  school  took  root  in  Denmark.  Under 
the  sway  of  Frederick  V  (1746-1766),  the  palace  of  Charlot- 
tenborg  was  arranged  for  the  use  of  the  Academy  of  Fine 
Arts.  At  the  same  time  an  entire  new  quarter  of  the  cit}^ 
Fredriksstaden,  was  laid  out  in  Copenhagen  ;  and  here  the 
leading  nobles  vied  with  each  other  in  erecting  sumptuous 
mansions.  The  principal  square  in  this  quarter  was  called 
Amalienborgs  Plads,  from  an  old  castle  on  the  same  site, 
which  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  in  1689. 

An  equestrian  statue  of  the  king,  also  the  work  of  a  French 
sculptor,  J.  F.  J.  Saly,  stands  in  this  square.  It  has  a  fine 
general  appearance ;  certain  parts,  especially  the  head  of 
the  horse,  being  very  well  executed. 

Saly,  who  resided  in  Denmark  until  1774,  produced  other 
works  of  merit,  and  had  an  important  influence  over  the 
growth  of  the  Academy,  of  which  he  became  director.  C. 
F.  Stanley,  A.  Weidenhaupt,  N.  Dajon,  sculptors  born  in 

1  Frederick  IV  (1699-1730)  had  a  true  perception  of  the  beautiful.  Fredericksberg 
and  Fredcnsborg  furnish  proof  of  how  well  he  understood  the  principles  of  art 
These  palaces  are  skilfully  planned  to  harmonize  with  their  sites  and  the  natural 
scenery  of  the  surrounding  country.  Frederick  IV  was,  above  all,  the  patron  of 
painting.  His  successor.  Christian  VI  (1730-1746),  was  passionately  fond  of  luxury. 
The  palace  of  Christiansborg  (destroyed  by  the  fire  of  1794)  and  numerous  country- 
houses  and  hunting-boxes,  among  them  Xlirshohn  and  the  Hermitage,  testify  to  the 
splendor  with  which  he  surrounded  his  court. 


i86  WOBKS  OF  THOEVALDSEJ^. 


Denmark,  who  have  left  behind  them  justly  honored  names, 
studied  at  the  Academy  during  his  administration. 

The  Danish  sculptor,  who  after  Saly  was  held  in  the  high- 
est estimation,  was  Johannes  Wiedewelt,  who  succeeded  him 
as  director  of  the  Academy.  He  belonged  to  a  family  of 
artists,  his  grandfather  having  been  an  architect  and  his  father 
a  carver.  To  decorate  the  prow  and  stern  of  vessels  with 
figure-heads  and  rich  carvings  was  already  the  custom  in 
Denmark.  The  father  of  Wiedewelt  pursued  this  avocation 
in  the  ship3^ards  of  Holmen  ;  and  here  his  son,  like  the  young 
Thorvaldsen  afterward,  made  his  first  essaj^s. 

Under  the  direction  of  his  father,  Wiedewelt  acquired  a 
certain  degree  of  aptitude ;  and  when  Saly  came  to  Copen- 
hagen, in  1753,  he  was  travelling  to  complete  his  art  educa- 
tion at  the  ro3^al  expense.  He  first  went  to  Paris,  where 
he  studied  with  William  Coustou  the  younger ;  thence  to 
Rome,  where  he  lived  on  intimate  terms  with  Winckelmann, 
who  directed  his  attention  to  the  antique.  This  intimacy  had 
a  decided  influence  upon  Wiedewelt,  who  from  that  time 
began  to  stud}"  the  Greeks  and  Romans  with  enthusiasm. 
The  relations  between  him  and  the  illustrious  savant  were 
founded  on  true  friendship,  and  they  corresponded  eonstantlj'' 
until  the  death  of  Winckelmann. 

Upon  his  return  to  Copenhagen  (1758),  Wiedewelt  was 
made  member  of  the  Academj^,  and  the  following  3"ear  pro- 
fessor. He  was  also  charged  with  a  large  number  of  works. 
In  the  magnificent  cathedral  of  Roeskilde,  the  burial-place 
of  the  Danish  kings,  the  sarcophagus  of  Christian  VI  and 
the  great  monument  of  Frederick  V,  enriched  with  figures 
larger  than  life,  are  both  by  Wiedewelt.  Several  statues  in 
the  garden  of  Fredensborg  Castle  are  also  by  his  hand,  besides 
richl}"  decorated  marble  vases,  and  four  large  groups  in  sand- 
stone of  mythological  subjects.  Wiedewelt  executed  a  great 
number  of  busts  and  mortuary  monuments.  Many  of  them 
were  destroj^ed,  either  when  the  castle  was  burnt  in  1794,  or 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN.  187 


during  the  bombardment  of  Copenhagen  in  1807.  But  his 
finest  and  most  characteristic  work  has  fortunately  been  pre- 
served. It  is  a  statue  in  marble  of  a  woman,  and  represents 
Fidelit3\  It  is  placed  with  three  other  statues  around  the 
obelisk  to  Liberty,  erected  in  1792  in  front  of  the  west  gate 
of  the  city.  This  monument  commemorates  the  abolition  of 
srrfdom. 

An  intelligent  artist,  Wiedewelt  possessed  the  inventive 
facult}'  and  composed  with  great  facilit}^  His  sojourn  at 
Paris  and  Rome,  his  relations  with  Winckelmann,  had 
contributed  to  enrich  his  mind  with  extensive  knowledge. 
Nevertheless,  his  talent,  though  developed  under  such  happy 
influences,  was  wanting  in  flexibility ;  and  the  artist  did 
not  succeed  in  putting  life  and  expression  into  his  figures, 
which  are  executed  with  learned  accuracy,  but  with  a  certain 
stiffness. 

The  tendencies  of  st3de  observable  in  the  works  of  this 
sculptor  testify  to  the  authority  exercised  over  him  by  Winck- 
elmann :  they  already  indicate  the  working  of  the  new  ideas 
which  later  were  to  become  dominant  with  Canova  and  Thor- 
valdsen. 

In  his  old  age,  Wiedewelt  gradually  gave  himself  up  to 
a  profound  melancholy,  and  finally,  in  1802,  put  an  end  to  his 
lifei 

Weidenhaupt,  a  pupil  of  Saly,  acquired  a  fair  reputation, 
especially  as  professor  of  the  Academy.  He  left  an  ecorclie^ 
which  was  highly  esteemed,  and  used  for  a  model  until 
within  a  few  years.  A  pensioner  of  the  Academ}',  Weiden- 
haupt went  to  Paris,  where  he  studied  from  1762  to  1765. 

1  Among  the  pupils  of  Wiedewelt,  we  ought  to  mention  J.  J.  Holm,  a  young  artist 
of  t.'ilent,  who  soon  gave  up  sculpture  for  the  engraving  of  medals.  He  was,  how 
ever,  surpassed  in  this  art  hy  Peter  Gianelli,  of  Copenhagen,  who  engraved  several 
medals  of  true  artistic  value.  One,  commemorating  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade 
in  the  Danish  colonies  in  1792,  is  specially  remarkable.  He  died  early  in  this  century. 
BLis  brother,  Dominic  Gianelli,  who  obtained  the  great  gold  medal  in  1799.  subse- 
quently took  up  his  abode  in  England.  He  sent  in  :  820  to  the  Academy  in  which  he 
had  studied  a  portrait  bust  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucester. 


WORKS  OF  thorvaldsen: 


Under  the  direction  of  Pajou,  he  worked  upon  a  marble  Saint 
Augustine,  intended  for  the  Hotel  des  Invalides.  In  Rome 
he  was  attracted  to  the  antique,  and  modelled  reduced 
copies  of  some  of  the  most  celebrated  statues.  These 
copies,  which  have  unfortunately  disappeared  with  time,  had 
great  success  in  Copenhagen  exhibitions. 

"  Agriculture,"  one  of  the  marble  figures  adorning  the  obe- 
lisk to  Liberty,  was  executed  b}"  Weidenhaupt.  It  is  only 
just  to  sa}^,  that  in  this  statue,  as  well  as  in  other  studies  by 
the  same  artist,  there  is  a  marked  and  sustained  eflTort  in  the 
direction  of  the  simplicity  of  Greek  art. 

Nicholas  Dajon,  born  like  Weidenhaupt  in  Copenhagen, 
and  a  pupil  of  Saly,  also  worked  on  the  monument  to  Liberty. 
The  two  female  figures,  "Courage "and  "Patriotism,"  are 
from  his  chisel ;  but  they  are  inferior  to  the  other  two.  He 
succeeded  better  in  a  very  rich  mortuary  monument,  orna- 
mented with  two  marble  female  figures  of  life-size,  in  a  ceme- 
tery in  Copenhagen. 

Thorvaldsen  received  lessons  at  the  Academy  from  this 
sculptor.  When,  in  1819,  the  pupil  returned  to  Copenhagen, 
alread}'  covered  with  glory,  the  old  master  was  almost  for- 
gotten.   He  died  in  1823. 

It  does  not  enter  into  our  plan  to  follow  out  the  history  of 
art  in  Denmark  :  ^  we  have  attempted  only  to  show  b}'  a  few 

1  In  Sweden,  also,  the  influence  of  the  French  school  was  felt,  and  in  a  more  per- 
sistent manner  than  in  Denmark.  The  younger  brother  of  our  celebrated  Bouchar- 
don  settled  in  this  country,  where  he  was  without  a  rival.  He  died  in  1762.  Larche- 
veque,  who  was  director  of  the  Koyal  Swedish  Academy,  and  who  died  in  1778,  was 
a  mannered  artist,  lie  had  for  a  pupil  t-'ergel,  the  best  of  the  Swedish  sculptors,  of 
whom  the  Marquis  de  Chennevicres  has  given  an  interesting  notice  in  the  "  I  Jevue 
Universelle  des  Arts  "  (May.  1856).  Sergei,  who  made  an  excellent  ''Sleeping  Fawn." 
was  Canova's  predecessor  in  Rome.  It  was  there  he  formed  himself,  not  altogether 
escaping,  however,  the  influences  of  the  French  school, —  of  which  his  charming 
group  of  "  Love  and  Psyche  "  is  an  evidence.  VVe  cannot  forget  that  it  is  to  t^ergel 
we  owe  the  tomb  of  Descartes,  in  the  church  of  Adolphus-Frederick,  in  Stockholm, 
After  this  artist,  the  most  famous  Swedish  sculptors  were  Bystrom  and  Fogelberg, 
contemporaries  of  Thorvaldsen.  The  first,  of  serious  and  rather  cold  turn  of  mind, 
sought  inspiration  from  the  antique :  the  other  was  a  pupil  of  Sergei,  but  he  also 
studied  under  Gu^rin  and  Bosio  in  Taris.   Gustave  Planche  has  devoted  a  very  care- 


WOEKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


illustrations,  how  this  countiy,  after  having  yielded  to  the 
general  influence  of.  the  art  movement  in  Europe,  especially 
in  France,  formed  its  own  Academy,  and  to  indicate  the  con- 
ditions under  which  Thorvaldsen  made  his  first  art  studies. 

We  must  not  exaggerate  the  influence  in  Denmark  of  the 
principles  brought  from  Ital}^  by  Wiedewelt,  the  friend  of 
Winckelmann.  They  were  not  always  adopted  by  his  suc- 
cessors. It  was  not  at  Copenhagen,  therefore,  but  in  Rome, 
in  presence  of  the  masterpieces  of  antiquitj',  that  Thorvald- 
sen finally  found  his  proper  path. 

When  he  arrived  in  Italy,  the  art  revolution  was  definitely 
accomplished.  It  had  commenced  in  the  Peninsula  about 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century :  in  the  eighteenth, 
Mengs,  a  German,  settled  in  Rome,  encouraged  it,  and  Winck- 
elmann ensured  its  triumph.  By  a  fortunate  coincidence, 
the  discoveries  of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  favored  this 
great  movement.  Thoroughl}^  familiar  with  the  beauties  of 
the  Greek  language,  admiring  Sophocles  and  Demosthenes, 
and  enthusiastic  over  Hesiod  and  Homer,  Winckelmann  had 
long  studied  the  antiquities  of  the  German  Museums  before 
going  to  Italy.  At  the  time  he  arrived  in  this  land  of  prom- 
ise for  the  artist  and  scholar.  Antiquity  herself,  rising  up  from 
beneath  the  ashes  and  lava  which  had  preserved  her,  stood 
read}"  to  reveal  herself,  unveiled  and  glowing,  to  her  enthusi- 
astic lover. 

The  works  of  Winckelmann  on  the  antique  have  long 
been  well  known.  The  great  influence  they  have  had  upon 
artists  has  reformed  the  taste  for  the  meretricious  and  af- 
fected, and  induced  a  return  to  the  severe  beauties  of  Greek 
art.  Had  the}^  no  other  merit,  these  works  would,  on  this 
account  alone,  be  worth}^  of  the  respect  of  all  judicious 

ful  article  in  the  "  Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,"  1855,  to  this  artist,  who  was  very  fond 
of  the  traditions  of  the  Scandinavian  mythology.  To  Fogelberg  we  owe  the  statues 
of  the  gods,  Odin,  Thor,  and  Balder.  His  works  were  published  in  1856  in  Paris  by 
M.  Casimir  Leconte. 


190  WOBKS  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


minds.  Nevertheless,  as  they  have  had,  generally,  less  happy 
results  in  painting  than  in  sculpture,  they  have  lost  some  of 
the  popularity  they  enjoyed  at  the  beginning  of  this  cen- 
tury. 

Perhaps,  also,  the  fault  lies  in  the  excessive  zeal  of  some 
artists,  who,  confounding  the  letter  with  the  spirit,  have  over- 
shot the  mark,  and  gone  far  beyond  the  ideas  of  Winck- 
elmann,  —  substituting  absolutely  for  an  intelligent  stud}^ 
of  nature  a  servile  copying  of  the  relics  of  antiquitj'.  These 
artists  have  given  birth  only  to  imitations. 

The  learned  German  says  :  "The  treatise  in  which  we  have 
discussed  the  art  of  the  Egyptians,  Etruscans,  and  other  na- 
tions, may  enlarge  our  ideas,  and  lead  to  correctness  of  judg- 
ment ;  but  this  on  Greek  art  will  attempt  to  base  them  on 
the  Unity  of  Truth  (the  one  and  the  true)  as  a  standard  of 
opinion  and  a  rule  in  execution."  ^ 

There  are  to  be  found  in  the  works  of  Winckelmann  just 
and  wise  teachings.  The  great  admirer  of  the  Greeks  was 
fully  persuaded  that  in  their  art  those  masters  were  in  pos- 
session of  truth ;  and  when  he  describes  their  methods,  he 
"incidentally  lays  down  precepts  of  high  value.  To  what  was 
owing  the  superiorit}^,  incontestable  in  sculpture,  of  these 
Greek  artists,  so  happily  endowed  with  a  natural  aptitude  for 
feeling  and  appreciating  beauty?  Above  all,  to  the  daily 
stud}''  they  made  of  the  naked  figure.^ 

But,  if  the  Greeks  had  constantly  before  their  eyes  the 
naked  figure,  they  did  not  content  themselves  with  copying 
it ;  they  chose  from  many  models  what  pleased  them  most, 

^  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  4.   Lodge's  Translation. 

2  The  gymnasia  and  other  places  where  the  young  exercised  naked,  in  athletic  and 
other  games,  and  which  were  the  resort  of  those  who  desired  to  see  beautiful  youth, 
were  the  schools  wherein  the  artist  saw  beauty  of  structure;  and,  from  the  daily  op- 
portunity of  seeing  it  nude  and  in  perfection,  l  is  imagination  became  heated,  the 
beauty  of  the  forms  he  saw  became  his  own,  and  was  ever  present  to  his  mind.  At 
Sparta,  even  the  young  virgins  exercised  naked,  or  nearly  so,  in  the  games  of  the 
arena,    Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p  43.   Lodge's  Translation. 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN.  191 


and  from  this  choice  composed  a  harmonious  whole,  superior, 
consequently,  to  each  model  taken  separatel}'.  "  They  puri- 
fied their  images  from  all  personal  feelings,  b}^  which  the 
mind  is  diverted  from  the  truly  beautiful."  ^  "  This  selection 
of  the  most  beautiful  parts,  and  their  harmonious  union  in 
one  figure,"  again  observes  Winckelmann,  "  produces  ideal 
beauty^  which  is  therefore  no  metaphysical  abstraction."  ^ 

The  idealistic  doctrine  to-day  has  numerous  opponents ; 
nevertheless,  if  it  does  not  insist  upon  absolute  truth,  it  does 
not  forbid  the  study  of  the  beautiful  in  nature,  that  being  in 
fact  the  basis  on  which  it  rests. 

The  search  after  the  beautiful  in  nature,  and  the  creation 
of  the  ideal,  did  not  comprise  all  the  aesthetic  doctrine  of  the 
Greeks.  The  artist  who  follows  their  precepts  must  also 
devote  himself  to  expression  and  action.  "  An  observance 
of  propriety  in  expression  and  action,"  again  remarks  Winck- 
elmann, "  ought  therefore  to  be  inculcated  at  the  same  time 
with  the  principles  of  beautiful  forms,  because  it  is  one  of 
the  constituents  of  grace."  ^  Still,  moderation  is  necessary  in 
expression  as  in  action  ;  for  if  beaut}',  like  limpid  water  drawn 
from  the  clearest  springs,  loses  its  purity  by  the  admixture 
of  foreign  elements,  expression  ought  only  to  be  admitted  so 
far  as  it  does  not  alter  the  features  of  the  face.  So,  also,  the 
action  of  the  limbs  should  never  be  so  strongly  emphasized 
as  to  break  the  harmonious  equilibrium  of  the  bod}'. 

Such  is  the  essence  of  the  teachings  of  Winckelmann. 
Thorvaldsen  is  one  of  the  artists  who  have  most  faithfully 
endeavored  to  put  these  theories  into  practice,  and  in  sculp- 
ture he  may  be  said  to  be  their  most  complete  and  truest 
expression.  It  is  impossible,  therefore,  to  separate  his  works 
from  the  principles  which  maj'  almost  be  said  to  have  pro- 
duced them. 


1  Winckelmann,  vol.ii,  p.  47.  Lodge's  Translation. 
8  Vol.  ii,  p.  112.  Lodge's  Translation. 


2  Ibid.  p.  48. 


ACHILLES  AND  PRIAM. 


WOBKS  OF  THOEVALDSEN.  1 93 


CHAPTER  II. 

Theories  of  Winckelmann  and  Thorvaldsen.  —  Figures  of  Manhood : 
"Jason,"  "Mercury,"  "Vulcan,"  "  Hercules."  — Youthful  Fig- 
ures: "Bacchus,"  "Ganymede,"  "Cupid,"  "Apollo,"  "Adonis." 
—  Goddesses:  "Venus,"  "The  Three  Graces,"  "Psyche," 
"Hebe."  —  Statue  of  the  "Young  Dancing-Girl,"  and  that  of 
"  Hope."  —  The  ^gina  Marbles. 


art. 
only 


The  works  of  Winckelmann,  which 
were  destined  to  exercise  so  impor- 
tant an  influence  upon  art,  remained 
for  a  long  time  almost  unknown  to 
artists.  The  principles  propounded 
by  the  savant  were  first  appreciated 
only  by  archaeologists ;  but  when, 
little  b}^  little,  they  had  penetrated 
beyond  this  narrow  circle,  they 
effected  a  complete  revolution  in 
ideas.  David,  on  his  return  from 
Italy,  brought  them  to  France,  where 
they  were  the  more  readily  welcomed, 
as  the  stud}"  of  the  republican  insti- 
tutions of  Greece  and  Rome  was 
then  in  vogue  ;  and  whatever  related 
to  them,  whether  in  politics  or  art, 
was  assured  of  a  great  popularitj'. 
Canova,  whose  genius  was  pliant  and 
facile,  succeeded  in  giving  to  his 
work  a  certain  semblance  of  antique 
He  very  soon  became  the  most  celebrated  sculptor,  not 
of  Italy,  but  of  Europe ;  and  when  the  Empire,  in  its 


194 


WOBKS  OF  TIIORVALDSEN. 


turn,  evoked  the  memories  of  the  Rome  of  the  Caesars,  he 
was  still  more  highl}^  considered. 

At  the  time  of  Thorvaldsen's  arrival  in  Ital}',  the  revolution 
was  accomplished  ;  but  we  must  not  conclude  that  the  artist 
did  no  more  than  34eld  to  the  influence  prevailing  around 
him.  It  was  under  the  guidance  of  a  purely  personal  feeling 
that  he  was  immediately  attracted  b}^  the  most  beautiful,  the 
most  severe  monuments  of  Greek  art ;  and,  though  he  partici- 
pated in  the  general  movement,  he  pla3'ed  a  part  in  it  peculiar 
to  himself.  Circumstances  also  favored  him.  Scared}'  had 
the  young  Dane  taken  the  first  step  on  the  road  which  was 
to  lead  him  to  fame,  when  he  encountered  a  fervent  disciple 
of  Winckelmann.  Doubtless  he  owed  much  less  to  the  wise 
counsels  of  this  friend  than  to  the  clearness  of  his  own  judg- 
ment, but  his  modest}'  made  him  rely  with  respectful  confi- 
dence upon  the  knowledge  of  Zoega.  Warmly  encouraged 
b}'  the  learned  archaeologist  in  his  enthusiastic  admiration  for 
the  grand  style  of  antique  statuar}^,  Thorvaldsen  abandoned 
himself  without  reserve  to  his  tastes,  and  went  resolutely  oa 
in  the  direction  in  which  his  talent  was  to  receive  its  full 
development. 

In  Rome  he  found  a  vast  field  open  to  investigation,  and 
innumerable  models  for  his  studies.  In  spite  of  the  ravages 
of  time,  of  civil  wars,  invasions  of  barbarians,  devastations, 
Rome  was  still  the  heiress  of  Antiquity  ;  and  the  excavations 
carried  on  in  Ital}',  and  pushed  as  far  as  Greece,  added  every 
day  new  treasures  to  her  store. 

Before  attempting  any  original  work,  Thorvaldsen  strove 
to  imbue  himself  with  the  spirit  of  the  Greek  artists ;  and, 
" /es  ceuvres  de  />7'ce"  attracting  him  b}'  preference,  he  took 
for  the  model  of  his  first  important  cop.y  one  of  the  Dioscuri 
of  Monte  Cavallo,  —  the  Pollux,  —  which  he  executed  with 
a  sort  of  religious  respect.    Under  the  profound  impression  ^ 

1 "  '  Emotion  received  should  be  transmuted  into  our  own  being,'  says  truly  Mrae,. 
de  Stael :  and  the  truer  this  emotion  is,  the  less  will  it  inspire  a  servile  imitation." 


W0BK8  OF  THOnVALDSEN.  195 


left  upon  him  by  the  stud}^  of  this  antique,  he  produced 
the  "  Jason,"  a  statue  so  lofty  and  severe  in  st3de,  tliat  we 
can  scarcely  believe  that  it  marks  the  debut  of  a  young 
artist. 

"When  Jason  appeared,"  says  Pindar,^  "all  the  people 
were  struck  with  astonishment.  They  took  him  for  Apollo, 
Bacchus,  or  Mars  "  For  the  tj-pe  of  his  "  Theseus,"  Canova 
chose  Apollo.  To  represent  Jason,-  Thorvaldsen  selected  the 
more  manly  figure  of  Mars.  The  hero  still  wears  his  long 
floating  hair,  as  he  wore  it,  according  to  the  poet,  when  he 
entered  Athens  for  the  first  time.  It  escapes  from  his  helmet 
in  thick  curls.  He  is  represented  in  all  the  vigor  of  manhood, 
and  his  noble  attitude  recalls  the  Hercules  of  an  antique 
mosaic  in  the  Villa  Albani.^ 

The  Greeks  gave  more  expression  and  action  to  heroes 
than  to  gods.  According  to  their  principles,  too  much  action 
was  incompatible  with  the  sublime  serenity  of  divinity ;  but 
it  was  permitted  to  the  artist  to  put  more  animation  into 
figures  representing  human  beings.  "In  heroes,  —  that  is, 
in  men  to  whom  antiquitj^  attributed  the  highest  excellence 
of  human  nature,  —  he  [the  Greek  artist]  advanced  even  to 
the  confines  of  the  divine  nature,  without  passing  bej'ond 
them,  and  without  blending  the  very  nice  distinctions  which 
separated  the  two."  ^  The  "  Jason  "  is  an  application  of  this 
principle. 

With  the  Greeks,  the  representations  of  their  divinities 
corresponded  to  the  ideas  they  had  previously  conceived 
of  them.  The  admirabl}'  well-balanced  imagination  of  this 
people,  unlike  the  generality  of  the  Oriental  idolaters,  was 
incapable  of  giving  birth  to  monsters,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
produced  t3pes  of  perfect  and  superhuman  beauty,  which 
very  soon  became  recognized  objects  of  worship.  These 

^  Ode  iv. 

2  Discovered  in  1760,  and  described  in  the  Monumenti,  No.  66. 

3  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  86,    Lodge's  Translation. 


196  WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


figures  of  the  gods  are  instinct  with  thought :  not  the  face 
alone,  but  the  whole  body,  from  head  to  foot.  Whenever 
Thorvaldsen  represented  these  divinities,  he  necessarily  con- 
formed to  the  Greek  tradition,  adopting  the  established  type  ^ 
for  each.  Still,  while  he  constantly  employed  the  refining 
processes  practised  by  the  sculptors  of  antiquity,  he  at  the 
same  time  endeavored  not  to  lose  sight  of  nature  ;  and,  in  the 
larger  number  of  his  statues,  we  find  evidence  of  careful  ana- 
tomical study  of  living  models. 

Thorvaldsen,  in  following  with  a  wise  moderation  the  S3's- 
tem  of  deification  of  the  human  form,  has  produced  in  his 
"  Mercury "  a  work  commingled  of  the  real  and  the  ideal. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  modern  sculpture,  and  will 
compare  fa vorabl}^  with  the  antique  statues.  "  Mercmy  Ar- 
giphontes,"^  says  Nagler,  truly,  "is  a  most  happy  expression 
of  manly  beauty  at  the  age  of  thirty.  It  resembles  in  char- 
acter and  in  its  proportions  the  famous  Greek  hero  known 
as  the  "  Fighting  Gladiator."  To  create  such  a  work,  Thor- 
valdsen began  by  copying  nature.  As  we  have  already  said, 
the  very  pose  of  the  figure  was  given  him  by  a  porter,  whom 
he  accidental!}"  saw  in  the  Corso.  The  porter  is  become  a 
god,  owing  to  the  exquisite  choice  of  forms,  idealized  with 
an  intelligent  discretion  without  losing  an}'  of  their  truth ; 
and  owing,  also,  to  the  nobility  which  characterizes  the  ex- 
pression of  the  countenance.  It  is  not  human  guile,  it  is 
divine  intelligence  which  is  reflected  on  the  brow  and  beams 
in  the  eye  of  Mercury.  The  action,  or,  to  speak  with 
more  exactness,  the  preparation  for  action,  is  sufficient  to 

1 "  As  the  ancients,"  says  "VVinckelmann,  had  mounted  gradually  from  human  to 
divine  beauty,  each  of  the  steps  of  beauty  remained  through  which  they  passed  in 
tlieir  ascent."  And,  farther  on,  he  adds,  in  regard  to  the  process  of  making  a  hero 
into  a  god,  that  "  the  eifect  has  been  produced  rather  by  subtraction  than  addition  ; 
that  is  to  say,  by  the  gradual  abstraction  of  all  those  parts  which,  even  in  nature,  are 
sharply  and  strongly  expressed,  until  the  shape  becomes  refined  to  such  a  degree 
that  only  the  spirit  within  appears  to  have  brought  it  into  being,"  Vol.  ii,  pp.  86, 90. 
Lodge's  Translation. 

2*'  The  Slayer  of  Argus." 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


197 


give  movement  and  flexibility  to  the  body  and  limbs ;  but  it 
is  restrained  and  reveals  a  god,  capable  of  vigorous  and  yet 
effortless  activity. 

In  the  statue  of  "  Mars,"  the  muscles  are  more  strongly 
marked.  It  was  proper  to  give  to  the  god  of  war  a  more 
pronounced  appearance  of  exterior  force  than  to  Mercur3\ 
Both  these  divinities  displaj^  the  characteristics  of  3'outh 
united  with  those  of  manhood.  Mars  and  Mercury  are 
beardless,  and  their  short  and  curl}^  hair  falls  over  their 
forehead. 

The  statue  of  "Vulcan"  belongs  to  the  period  of  devel- 
oped manhood.!  -pjie  Greeks,  it  is  known,  endowed  divini- 
ties of  this  age  with  a  character  in  some  respects  immutable, 
so  that  the}'  can  be  recognized  by  the  conventional  cast  of 
the  features  and  the  cut  of  the  hair  and  beard.  The  coun- 
tenance of  Vulcan  is  characterized  by  that  calm  rugged- 
ness  proper  to  the  blacksmith-son  of  Jupiter :  he  has  the 
heavy  beard  and  thick  bushy  hair  of  the  king  of  gods ; 
his  head  is  covered  with  the  workman's  cap ;  his  tunic, 
after  the  prescribed  fashion  for  this  god,  always  occupied 
with  hard  labor,  is  unfastened  on  the  right  shoulder,  leav- 
ing the  chest  bare.  The  general  attitude  of  this  figure 
reminds  us  very  much  of  an  Hephaistos  on  an  altar  in  the 
Vatican.^ 

In  regard  to  the  statue  of  "  Hercules,"  it  should  not  be 
judged  severely,  when  we  remember  that  Thorvaldsen  was 
seventy-three  years  old  when  he  modelled  it.  It  is  certainly 
inferior  to  the  works  above  mentioned,  though  it  still  bears 
the  marks  of  a  master-hand. 

The  Greek  sculptors  saw  in  Hercules  two  different  persons. 
One  is  the  hero  "  who  had  to  contend  against  monsters  and 
fierce  men,  and  had  not  yet  reached  the  end  of  his  toils  : " 

1  Sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  the  ancients  represented  Hephaistos  (Vulcan)  with 
the  features  of  youth. 

2  Mentioned  by  M.  Theil,  in  his  Dictionary. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


he  is  represented  with  protuberant  muscles.  The  other  is 
the  demi-god,  "  whose  body  had  been  purified  by  fire,  and 
who  had  been  raised  to  the  enjo3^ment  of  the  happiness  of 
Olympus.  The  former  is  represented  in  the  Hercules  Far- 
nese,  and  the  latter  in  the  torso  of  the  Belvedere."  i 

Thorvaldsen  selected  the  man  Hercules  He  has  not  repre- 
sented him,  as  the  Greeks  sometimes  did,  in  the  glory  of  youth, 
with  features  which  leave  his  sex  almost  doubtful,  so  that  his 
beaut}^  resembles  that  which  the  complaisant  Gl3'cera  re- 
quired a  young  man  to  have  in  order  to  be  worthy  of  her 
favors  2  He  has  given  him,  on  the  contrary,  a  robust  and 
even  heavy  figure.  We  notice  the  weight  rather  than  the 
strength  of  the  colossus.  The  hand  which  holds  the  club 
does  not  seem  to  grasp  it  with  vigor ;  nor  does  the  head 
much  resemble  that  of  Hercules,  subduer  of  monsters,  to 
whom  the  Greeks  alwa3's  gave  a  low  brow,  with  thick,  coarse 
hair  bristling  over  the  forehead,  like  the  shaggy  locks  be- 
tween the  horns  of  the  bull.^ 

Among  the  ^^outhful  figures  treated  by  Thorvaldsen, 
we  note  those  of  Bacchus,  Ganymede,  Love,  Apollo,  and 
Adonis,  which  have  very  distinctive  characteristics.  The 
Greeks  gave  to  Bacchus  a  mixed  type  of  beauty,  com- 
pounded of  both  sexes,  and  "  drawn  from  the  conformation 
of  eunuchs."'*  The  ancient  artists,  who  represented  this 
god  in  his  3'outh,  always  rounded  his  limbs  to  the  point 
of  feminine  elegance,  and  developed  his  hips  to  almost 
womanly  proportions  ;  for,  according  to  the  fable,  Bacchus 
was  brought  up  as  a  girl.^ 

Following  this  tradition,  Thorvaldsen  has  given  much 
feminine  delicac3"  to  his  "  Bacchus."  The  god  is  leaning 
negligently  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  turning  his  head 

1  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  78.  Lodge's  Translation. 

2  Winckelmann. 

3  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  157.  Lodge's  Translation. 
*  Ibid.  vol.  ii,  p.  73.  o  ibid.  vol.  ii,  p.  73. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


199 


languidly  toward  the  cup  -which  he  is  lifting  to  his  lips.  The 
brow  is  crowned  with  vine-leaves  ;  and  the  hair,  gathered 
together,  and  knotted  on  the  top  of  the  head  like  a  woman's, 
is  allowed  to  partly  escape  and  fall  over  the  shoulders,  — 
an  arrangement  common  to  Apollo  and  Bacchus,  and  to 
them  alone  of  all  the  divinities. ^  There  is  something  soft 
and  easy  in  the  contour  of  this  figure,  a  voluptuous  flexibilit}^ 
in  the  action  of  the  bod}-.  The  rounded  abdomen  and  pro- 
jecting hips  approach  to  the  feminine  type  :  the  muscles  and 
knee-pans,  scarcely  marked,  are  those  of  3'oung  boys. 

Ganymede  has  none  of  this  blending  of  forms.  He  is  a 
youth  remarkable  for  the  delicacy  of  his  limbs,  the  want  of 
prominence  in  his  muscles,  the  softness  and  roundness  of 
his  flesh.  His  hips  are  not  developed  like  those  of  Bac- 
chus. The  son  of  Tros  unites  in  himself  all  the  beauties 
which  nature  is  capable  of  giving  to  young  boys.  It  is  thus 
he  appears  in  the  statues  of  Thorvaldsen  and  in  the  group 
where  the  artist  has  represented  him  kneeling  before  Jupiter, 
metamorphosed  into  an  eagle.  The  young  Trojan  is  per- 
forming, for  the  first  time,  his  duties  as  cup-bearer  to  the 
god.  The  way  the  eagle  regards  him  indicates  the  cause 
of  the  jealousy  of  Juno.  This  group  is  grand  in  style, 
well  balanced,  and  fine  in  execution. 

The  "Gan3^mede"  is  only  an  embodiment  of  idealized 
human  beauty.  To  represent  Love,  the  artist  should,  accord- 
ing to  the  principle  of  the  Greeks,  strive  for  a  higher  aim,  — 
a  divine  ideal.  "  Love  Victorious  "  has  all  the  graces  of 
youth,  joined  to  an  exceeding  delicacy.  Though  the  forms 
have  something  of  the  blending  of  the  two  types,  as  in  the 
Bacchus,"  they  have  more  loftiness  and  purit}-,  and  reveal 
a  god  of  a  superior  order.  The  conqueror  of  gods  and  men, 
leaning  on  his  bow,  is  looking  at  the  point  of  one  of  his 
arrows  with  an  expression  of  malice  and  pride  which  is 
almost  cruel. 

I  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  185,   Lodge's  Translation.   Also  see  p.  68. 


200 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


In  the  group  of  "  Cupid  and  Psyche/'  the  figure  of  the  god 
is  firm  and  slender,  and  copied  more  directly  from  beau- 
tiful living  models.  This  composition  is  a  masterpiece  of 
true  grace  and  simplicity.  In  drawing  from  the  same  sources 
as  the  Greek  masters,  the  sculptor  has  approached  nearer  to 
them,  perhaps,  than  he  could  have  done  by  the  mere  imitation 
of  their  works  ;  and  has  given  to  his  figures  all  the  originality 
of  his  own  genius.  Psj^che  stands  looking  thoughtfull}^  at 
the  cup  of  immortality :  she  hesitates  before  putting  it  to 
her  lips,  she  does  not  jQt  dare  to  confront  this  immense 
unknown.  Cupid  encourages  her  with  tender  persuasions, 
and  smiles  sweetly  at  the  naivete  of  the  young  girl.  In  this 
work,  there  is  something  superior  to  the  beauty  of  form :  it 
is  the  extreme  delicacy  of  the  sentiment  and  of  the  philo- 
sophic idea.  In  representing  Cupid  and  Ps3^che,  Canova 
satisfied  himself  by  grouping  together  two  beautiful  figures 
in  an  attitude  of  tenderness  and  soft  languor.  Thorvaldsen 
has  done  more  :  he  has  expressed  a  thought. 

Among  the  Greeks,  the  figure  of  Apollo  is  the  highest 
type  of  ideal  beauty,  whose  most  complete  expression  is  the 
Apollo  Belvedere.  In  our  judgment,  Thorvaldsen  did  not 
here  attain  to  his  ideal.  The  figure  of  his  "  Apollo  "  is  nearer 
akin  to  the  mixed  beautj^  of  Bacchus,  a  less  noble  divinity. 
The  face  is  wanting  in  that  distinction  of  feature  which 
might  be  dispensed  with  in  Apollo,  shepherd  of  Admetus, 
but  which  must  be  always  retained  in  the  god  of  Par- 
nassus 

Adonis  not  being  a  deity,  the  sculptor  had  onl}-  to  copy 
skilfully  what  he  saw  in  nature,  and  give  to  his  figure  a  simple 
and  antique  attitude.  His  "Adonis"  is  a  youth  in  the  full 
bloom  of  manly  beauty,  copied  with  scrupulous  fidelit}^  from 
the  finest  living  models.  Here  are  still  all  the  graces  of  ado- 
lescence, but  with  no  false  refinement  to  disturb  the  purity  of 
the  figure,  or  compromise  its  noble  simplicity.  This  work, 
which  has  some  resemblance  to  the  "  Apollo  Sauroctonos"  of 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


20  r 


antiq  lity,  is,  however,  entirely  original  in  execution.  Thor- 
valdsen  borrowed  from  the  Greeks  the  perfect  form  of  the 
head,  the  arrangement  of  the  hair,  the  repose  of  the  attitude, 
the  careful  balance  of  the  figure  ;  but  the  pensive  expression 
of  the  3'oung  shepherd,  and  the  evidences  of  a  loving  study 
of  nature,  give  to  the  marble  the  personal  imprint  of  the 
artist.  No  traveller  visiting  the  Glyptothek  of  Munich  can 
fail  to  be  sensibly  impressed,  not  only  by  the  elegance  and 
severe  style  of  this  work,  but  also  by  the  deep  feeling  per- 
vading it. 

If  we  extend  this  comparative  method  of  study  to  the 
female  figures  of  Thorvaldsen,  we  shall  still  find  the  artist  a 
pupil  of  the  Greeks,  and,  imbued  with  their  principles,  apply- 
ing with  an  independent  genius  the  rules  which  guided  these 
masters. 

The  Greeks,  in  expressing  beaut}^  of  form  in  their  god- 
desses, do  not  seem  to  have  followed  closel}^  the  distinctions 
to  which  they  so  rigidly  adhered  in  their  gods  and  heroes. ^ 
The  faces  of  the  goddesses  have  all  a  character  of  their  own  ; 
but  the  forms,  which,  moreover,  are  usually  draped,  have  sel- 
dom an}^  distinguishing  difference  except  that  of  age. 

To  Venus  and  the  Graces  belong  the  nearly  exclusive  priv- 
ilege of  being  habitually  represented  nude,  though  we  have 
almost  the  right  to  saj^  that,  in  the  first  period  of  Greek  art, 
this  license  was  not  permitted.  The  Venus  of  Melos,  which 
belongs  to  the  finest  epoch  of  antiquit}^,  is  partly  draped. 

When  Thorvaldsen  was  modelling  his  "  Venus,"  he  could 
not  have  known  of  the  statue  found  in  the  Island  of  Melos  in 
1820,  and  directly  afterward  taken  to  Paris.  But  he  must 
have  studied  the  Medicean,  the  Capitoline,  and  the  Venup 
of  Troas  ;  and  he  seems  to  have  been  inspired  b}^  the  more 
youthful  beauty  of  the  first  He  has  not  given  his  figure  that 
attitude  of  modest  embarrassment  which  characterizes  the 
three  antique  statues :  still,  there  is  nothing  in  the  severe 
beauty  of  the  "Venus  Victrix"  of  the  Danish  sculptor  which 

1  Winckelmann,  vol.  ii,  p.  91.   Lodee's  Translation. 


202 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


can  excite  an  equivocal  thought.  The  admiration  which  she 
inspires  is  similar  to  that  which  those  philosophers  might  feel, 
for  whom  "  Love  is  the  colleague  of  Wisdom."  ^  The  god- 
dess, with  her  left  hand,  is  already  taking  up  the  garment 
which,  before  presenting  herself  to  Paris,  she  had  laid  on  the 
trunk  of  a  tree.  The  right  arm  is  drawn  near  the  bod}"  by 
a  movement  which,  though  graceful,  is  lacking  a  little  in 
freedom  ;  the  hand  holds  the  apple,  the  prize  of  victory. 
The  head,  slightl}'  inclined,  is  expressive  of  gratified  pride 
and  divine  serenity  in  her  triumph. 

Thorvaldsen  did  not  usuallj^  give  a  large  development  to 
the  bosom  in  his  figures  of  women.  The  outlines  of  his 
"  Venus  "  are  elaborated  with  a  finished  delicacj^ ;  the  move- 
ment of  the  hips,  thighs,  and  legs  is  graceful  without  aflfecta- 
tion ;  the  feet  and  hands  are  executed  with  extreme  nicety. 

In  the  group  of  the  "Three  Graces,"  Thorvaldsen  seems 
to  us  less  happily  inspired.  The  type  of  feminine  beauty 
adopted  by  him  is  not  that  usually  chosen  by  the  Greeks, 
which  was  both  strong  and  delicate.  In  trying  to  idealize 
his  figures,  he  has  only  succeeded  in  making  them  thin.  The 
faces  express  the  innocence  of  youth,  and  the  virginal  bosoms 
are  rounded  and  finished  with  extreme  delicacy ;  but  the  less 
developed  contours  of  the  lower  part  of  the  bodies  have  a 
certain  hardness  and  angularity  of  outline. 

In  accordance  with  the  theory  of  Mengs,  that  a  group 
should  always  have  the  pyramidal  form,  the  artist  has  made 
the  head  and  shoulders  of  two  of  his  figures  incline :  the 
third,  on  the  contrar}",  is  upright,  and  stiff  in  attitude.  One 
of  the  three  sisters  presents  her  full  face :  the  others  are  in 
profile.  Consequently,  we  do  not  see  the  back  of  any  of 
them  This  arrangement  did  not  permit  the  artist  to  please 
by  a  simultaneous  view  of  the  feminine  form  in  all  its  aspects. 
Jean  Goujon,  Raphael,  the  greater  number  of  ancient  sculp- 


*  Ta  <ro(/>ca  jrapeSpou?  epwra?.   Euripides,  Media,  v.  843. 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


203 


tors,^  appear,  on  the  contrary,  to  have  preferred  the  opposite 
arrangement,  which  is  much  more  satisfactory  to  tlie  eye. 

In  spite  of  the  praise  wliich  this  group  has  received,  —  it 
has  even  inspired  the  poetic  mind  of  a  king,^  —  there  is  no 
doubt  that  Thorvaldsen  was  not  fully  satisfied  with  his  work, 
and  in  1842  he  executed  a  new  model,  different  from  the 
first.  But  the  perfection  to  which  he  could  not  attain  in  the 
fulness  of  his  powers  was  not  to  be  reached  in  his  old  age, 
and  the  second  work  seems  to  us  even  inferior  to  the  first. 
Nevertheless,  the  sculptor  tried  to  give  more  ease  to  the 
middle  figure,  whose  attitude  he  changed.  The  right  foot 
only  is  resting  on  the  ground,  while  the  left  is  raised.  The 
movement  —  a  little  unnatural  —  of  the  second  goddess  is 
also  modified.  To  get  rid  of  the  angular  outline  of  the  lower 
part  of  the  body,  the  artist  turned  the  right-hand  figure 
three-quarters  round,  making  it  face  nearly  to  the  front ;  so 
that  its  posture  does  not  Yury  suflScientl}^  from  that  of  the 
central  figure.  Finally,  notwithstanding  the  excellent  inten- 
tions for  which  this  new  attempt  is  to  be  commended,  the 
group  of  1842,  though  carefully  finished,  is  inferior  to  the 
other  in  delicacy  of  workmanship.  In  both  compositions, 
the  goddesses  are  wanting  in  fulness  of  outline. 

To  Psyche  undoubtedly  belongs  the  slender  and  delicate 
form  of  extreme  youth.  This  charming  subject  has  been 
twice  treated  by  Thorvaldsen :  first  in  the  group  of  which 
we  have  already  spoken,  and  afterward  in  a  pretty  statue, 
representing  the  gentle  victim  of  the  vengeance  of  Venus 
bearing  from  the  infernal  regions  the  mysterious  box  given 
her  by  Proserpine.  She  stands  in  a  pensive  attitude ;  her 
drapery  has  fallen  below  her  hips,  leaving  exposed  the  upper 
part  of  the  body.    By  a  movement  indicative  of  innocent 

1  See  Seneca,  De  Beneficiis,  i,  3. 

2  King  Louis  of  Bavaria  wrote  a  poem,  in  which  he  celebrated  with  enthusiasm 
the  '-Three  Graces"  of  Thorvaldsen,  and  criticised  severely  Canova's  group. 
(Nagler.) 


204  WORKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN, 


curiosity,  the  young  giri  lays  her  right  hand  on  the  cover  of 
the  box;  but  she  hesitates.  "We  can  imagine  nothing  more 
delicate.    It  is  a  charming  creation,  with  no  sign  of  effort. 

Hebe  has  been  twice  represented  by  the  artist.  In  the  first 
model,  the  young  goddess  is  clothed  in  a  double  tunic :  the 
garment,  unfastened  on  the  shoulder,  leaves  the  right  breast 
bare.  The  drapery  is  elegant  and  severe.  But  this  exposure 
of  the  bust  was  considered  a  fault ;  and  ten  years  later  Thor- 
valdsen,  in  modelling  a  repetition  of  this  first  statue,  covered 
the  bosom  entirely,  to  better  express  the  modest  grace  which 
belongs  to  the  goddess  of  youth. 

We  must  not  conclude  our  examination  of  these  female 
figures,  without  saying  a  word  about  a  charming  statue  of  a 
young  girl,  whose  tunic,  slipping  over  her  right  arm,  exposes 
a  bosom  hardly  y^t  developed.  B}'  a  naive  movement,  she 
raises  her  dress  on  both  sides,  and  begins  to  dance.  Her 
hair  is  knotted  simply  on  the  top  of  her  head.  This  com- 
position is  full  of  freshness  and  buoyancy.  It  is  a  very 
characteristic  work,  strongly  imbued  with  the  artist's  indi- 
viduality. 

The  statue  of  "  Hope,"  on  the  contrary,  is  wholly  archaic, 
—  a  skilful  and  intentional  imitation  of  early  Greek  art.  The 
attitude  of  the  goddess  is  impassive :  in  one  hand  she  holds 
a  flower  read}^  to  scatter  its  seed,  in  the  other  a  fold  of  her 
long  tunic,  —  a  movement  conformed  to  antique  tradition. 
The  severe  fall  of  the  draper}^,  under  which  the  bod}^  is 
discreetly  but  strongly  indicated ;  the  placidity  of  the  face, 
admirable  in  its  purity  of  feature  ;  the  hair,  whose  long  curls 
fall  over  the  shoulders  ;  the  brow,  encircled  with  a  wide  ban- 
deau in  the  form  of  a  diadem,  —  all  recall  the  hieratic  proto- 
type of  Greek  antiquity, ^  and  reveal  the  profound  studies 

>  Brondsted  thus  describes  the  figures  imitated  hy  Thorvaldsen,  and  which  he  sup- 
poses to  be  Graces  and  Hours  :  "  The  temple  of  ^gina,"  he  says,  "had  as  acroteria. 
above  the  apex  of  the  pediment,  a  large  flowcr-like  ornament,  carefully  executed  iii 
marble,  and  covered  with  paintings,  and,  on  each  side,  two  small  female  figures  stand- 
ing a  little  lower,  on  the  slope  of  the  cornice,  and  supported  by  small  pedestals. 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN, 


205 


which,  shortl}^  before  modelling  it,  the  artist  had  to  make  for 
the  restoration  of  the  famous  ^gina  marbles. 

The  ^gina  marbles,  which  ornamented  the  pediment  of 
the  Temple  of  Jupiter  Panhellenius,  appear  to  belong  to  a 
transition  period,  and  to  be  connected  with  two  epochs :  in 
the  first,  which  was  entirely  hieratic,  the  figures  were  motion- 
less, like  the  statue  of  "  Hope  "  ;  in  the  second,  without  losing 
their  gravit}',  they  borrowed  from  human  life,  when  they 
represented  it,  a  certain  degree  of  movement  and  greater 
diversit}^  of  attitude.  It  is  this  which  has  made  a  critic  say 
that  "  the  statues  of  -^gina  seem  still  to  adhere  to  the  dogma, 
with  regard  to  the  immobility  of  their  countenances,  while 
they  emerge  into  the  world  of  art  by  the  movement  of  their 
limbs.  The  Greek  and  Trojan  heroes  have  the  heads  of  gods 
and  the  bodies  of  athletes."  1 

The  assiduous  labor  bestowed  by  Thorvaldsen  upon  the 
JEgina  marbles  during  a  whole  year,  —  this  struggle  co?7)s  d 
corps^  if  one  may  so  express  it,  with  Greek  antiquity,  —  con- 
tributed largely  to  the  perfect  development  of  his  talent. 
The  effects  of  this  thorough  studj^  can  be  more  directly  traced 
in  those  works  produced  shortly  after  the  time  the  artist 
was  thus  employed,  —  the  statue  of  Hope,"  "  The  Young 
Shepherd  and  Dog,"  and  the  group  of  "  Ganymede  and  the 
Eagle." 

These  two  little  statues  were  robed,  and  had  each  a  flower  In  one  hand,  while  with 
the  other  they  held  up  the  hem  of  their  garments.  I  am  inclined  to  take  these  four 
little  figures  of  the  two  pediments  for  the  two  earliest  Hours,  Thallo  and  Karpo.  and 
for  the  two  most  ancient  Graces,  Auxo  and  Hegemone,  (Comp.  Pausan.  ix,  35, 1.) 
Still  lower,  at  the  ends  of  the  pediment,  were  griffins,  very  well  formed;  of  which 
were  found  enough  fragments  in  the  excavations  of  1811  to  justify  their  restoration, 
eo  suC'^essfully  accomplished  by  Thorvaldsen." —  Voyages  en  Grece,  livraison  2,  note 
on  p.  159.  Paris.  Didot.  1830. 
^  M.  Viardot,  Musees  d'Allemagne. 


ALEXANDER  IN  HIS  CHARIOT,  FROM  THE  FRIEZE,    'THE  TRIUMPH 
OF  ALEXANDER.' 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


207 


CHAPTER  III. 

Heroic  and  Mythological  Bas-Reliefs.  —  Anacreontic  Subjects.  —  The 
"  Shepherdess  with  the  Nest  of  Loves."  —  The  Four  Ages  of 
Life." 

The  superiority  acquired  by  Thor- 
valdsen  in  bas-reliefs  seems  not  to 
be  questioned.  His  great  frieze,  the 
"  Triumph  of  Alexander,"  would  of 
itself  suffice  to  render  an  artist  fa- 
mous. 

When  the  sculptor  conceived  this 
vast  composition,  he  had  probably  not 
3^et  seen  the  casts  of  the  bas-reliefs 
of  the  Parthenon.  The  marbles  were 
not  brought  to  England  from  Greece 
until  1814.  Drawings  of  them,  how- 
ever, had  been  made  as  early  as  1674,* 
b}"  a  Flemish  artist  emplo3'ed  b}^  the 
Marquis  de  Nointel :  these  had  been 
often  engraved,  and  there  is  no  doubt 
Thorvaldsen  consulted  them.  But 
the  imitation  was  not  servile,  as  jeal- 
ous artists  have  maintained :  on  the 
contrar}^,  it  was  perfectly  independ- 
ent. This  is  especiall}^  notable  in  the 
groups  of  Macedonian  cavaliers,  which  recall  the  Athenian 
horsemen  in  the  Panathen.iean  Procession.    Most  of  the  lat- 

1  See  Stuart  and  Landon  Antiquities  of  Athens. 


208  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


ter  wear  the  tunic  and  clilam3^s,  which  the  Danish  artist 
has  retained,  and  properl}-  so,  in  his  warriors  of  Alexander's 
train.  He  has  also  given  them  breastplates.  The  attitudes 
these  cavaliers  assume,  whether  in  curbing  or  urging  on 
their  steeds,  are  skilfully  varied  ;  and  the  action  of  both 
horses  and  horsemen  are  in  the  severe  stjde  of  antique 
work. 

In  the  representation  of  so  important  an  historic  event  as 
the  entr}^  of  Alexander  into  Bab3don,  the  artist  has  followed, 
as  far  as  the  dimensions  of  the  frieze  would  permit,  the  nar- 
rative of  Quintus  Curtius.  If  it  were  not  possible  for  him  to 
give  the  walls  the  great  height  spoken  of  by  the  historian, 
he  has  peopled  them  with  citizens  eager  to  salute  their  new 
king.  Alexander,  in  accordance  with  the  account  given  by 
Quintus  Curtius,  stands  in  his  chariot,  surrounded  by  his 
guards,  and  followed  by  his  army.  At  the  side  of  the  hero, 
holding  the  reins,  is  a  Victory ;  while  another  allegorical 
figure.  Peace,  presents  to  the  conqueror  an  olive-branch  and 
a  horn  of  plent3^  In  that  part  of  the  frieze  in  which  the 
Babylonians  are  represented  coming  to  meet  their  new  mas- 
ter, the  narrative  of  the  Roman  writer  has  been  scrupulously 
followed. 

"  Mazseus,"  writes  Quintus  Curtius,  "  with  his  adult  chil- 
dren, came  as  a  suppliant  to  meet  Alexander,  and  surrender 
to  him  the  cit}-  and  himself.  Bagophanes,  keeper  of  the 
citadel  and  of  the  royal  treasur}^,  not  to  be  outdone  in  devo- 
tion b}^  Mazaeus,  had  the  path  of  the  conqueror  strewn  with 
flowers  and  garlands,  and  silver  altars  erected  upon  each 
side  of  the  wa}^,  upon  which  incense  burned,  with  a  thousand 
other  perfumes  Following  him  w^ere  rich  presents,  droves 
of  cattle  and  horses,  lions  and  leopards  ;  then  the  magi  chant- 
ing their  national  h}^mns.  Behind  them  came  the  Chaldeans 
and  the  poets  of  Babylon,  musicians  also,  with  the  instru- 
ments of  their  countr3\  The  office  of  the  latter  was  to  chant 
the  praises  of  their  kings  ;  that  of  the  Chaldeans,  to  explain 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


209 


the  course  of  the  stars  and  the  periodic  revolutions  of  the 
seasons." 

Quintus  Curtiiis,  we  believe,  is  the  onl}'  historian  of  antiq- 
uity who  has  preserved  for  us  the  account  of  this  event. 
Though  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  truth  and  fable  in  his 
works,  it  is  probable  that  he  derived  these  details  from  some 
Greek  historian  whose  writings  have  not  come  down  to  us. 
However  this  may  be,  Thorvaldsen,  instead  of  composing  an 
imaginary  scene,  preferred  to  follow  the  Roman  narrative. 

His  frieze  is  in  much  higher  relief  than  the  "  Panathensean. 
Procession."  The  sculptural  decorations  of  the  Parthenon 
varied  in  this  respect,  the  "  Panathensean  Procession"  being 
in  the  lowest  relief  of  all. 

The  rapidity  with  which  Thorvaldsen  in  the  first  instance 
had  to  execute  his  frieze  forced  him,  as  we  have  said,  to 
neglect  perfection  of  detail.  The  work  was  to  be  placed  at 
a  sufficient  height  to  allow  the  artist  to  devote  himself  prin- 
cipally to  the  attitude  of  the  figures,  and  the  general  harmony 
of  the  composition.  But  when  the  work  was  cut  in  marble, 
not  only  did  he  complete  what  had  been  neglected  in  the 
plaster,  but  introduced  several  happy  changes. 

In  the  Museum  of  Copenhagen  there  are  four  different 
models  of  the  principal  figure,  —  Alexander  in  his  triumphal 
chariot.  In  the  first,  the  attitude  of  the  hero  more  nearly 
resembles  the  exaggerated  st^de  of  Lebrun's  paintings  than 
the  beautiful  simplicity  of  antique  bas-reliefs.  There  is  more 
of  arrogance  than  of  noble  pride  in  the  pose  of  the  conqueror, 
who  holds  high  his  lance  in  his  right  hand,  while  he  rests  his 
left  on  his  hip.  The  artist  himself  was  dissatisfied  with  this, 
figure,  and  changed  it  almost  entirely.  In  the  second  model, 
the  conqueror  is  resting  his  left  hand  on  his  chariot,  and 
turning  his  head  toward  his  sirmy.^  In  a  third,  he  leans 
against  the  chariot  with  his  right  hand,  and  still  turns  his 

iThe  model  executed  in  marble  for  the  Duke  of  Sommariva,  and  engraved  at  the 
head  of  this  chapter. 


210  WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


head.  The  last  and  fourth  variation,  simpler  and  in  our 
opinion  the  finest,  represents  Alexander  looking  straight 
before  him,  with  the  same  action  of  the  head  and  throat  that 
we  find  on  all  his  medals.  The  hair,  turned  ofiT  from  the 
brow,  falls  in  waves  on  each  side,  according  to  the  mode 
adopted  b}^  ancient  artists  in  their  representations  of  the 
conqueror  who  called  himself  the  son  of  Jupiter  Ammon. 

Thorvaldsen  delighted  in  subjects  drawn  from  the  heroic 
age  of  Greece.  Although  entireh^  ignorant  of  the  language 
of  Homer,  he  was  profoundl}"  impressed  by  the  grandeur  of 
the  poet,  —  a  grandeur  not  derived  from  magnificence  of 
diction  merely,  but  from  elevation  of  thought  and  dramatic 
action.  The  beauty  of  the  style  he  undoubtedlj-  lost  in 
translations,  but  they  supplied  him  with  all  the  details  of 
the  drama  ;  and  he  has  interpreted  the  poet  with  a  vigor  and 
simplicity  only  equalled  b}^  Flaxman. 

"  The  Abduction  of  Briseis  "  was  his  first  subject.  Achilles 
yields  to  the  command  of  Agamemnon,  his  heart  swelling 
with  resentment.  The  heralds  hesitate,  embarrassed  and  full 
of  respect  for  the  son  of  Peleus.^  He  directs  Patroclus  to 
deliver  to  them  the  beautiful  girl,  who  follows  sorrowfull3\ 
Achilles  turns  away  with  anger,  calling  upon  gods  and  men 
to  witness  the  outrage. 

The  Homeric  inspiration  is  still  more  strilcing  in  a  smaller 
bas-relief,  —  "  Hector  and  Paris." 

"  There  entered  Hector,  dear  to  Jove ;  he  bore 
In  hand  a  spear  eleven  cubits  long  : 
The  brazen  spear-head  glittered  brightly,  bound 
With  a  gold  circle.    In  his  room  he  there 
Found  Paris,  busied  with  his  shining  arms,  — 
Corslet  and  shield ;  he  tried  his  curved  bow; 
While  Argive  Helen  with  the  attendant  maids 
Was  sitting,  and  appointed  each  a  task. 
Hector  beheld,  and  chid  him  sharply  thus  :  — 

'  Strange  man,  a  fitting  time  indeed  is  this, 

» Iliad,  b.  i,  1.  331.   Bryant's  Translation,  1.  415-4-iO. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN, 


211 


To  indulge  thy  sullen  humor,  while  in  fight 

Around  our  lofty  walls  the  men  of  Troy 

Are  perishing,  and  for  thy  sake  the  war 

Is  fiercely  blazing  all  around  our  town. 

Thou  wouldst  thyself  reprove  him,  shouldst  thou  see 

Another  warrior  as  remiss  as  thou 

In  time  of  battle.    Rouse  thee,  then,  and  act, 

Lest  we  behold  our  city  all  in  flames.' "  ' 

The  hero,  stately  and  strong  as  an  oak,  stands  erect  and 
motionless.  He  fixes  a  severe  look  upon  his  brother,  who 
appears  confused  at  his  base  inaction.  The  valor  and  virtue 
of  Hector,  the  self-indulgence  of  Paris  and  Helen,  are  ex- 
pressed with  so  much  energy  and  delicacy,  that  this  bas-relief 
is  inferior  in  neither  strength  nor  beauty  to  the  one  repre- 
senting "  Priam  begging  Achilles  for  the  Body  of  his  Son." 

Thorvaldsen  made  a  repetition  of  "Hector  and  Paris"; 
but  the  second  model,  in  which  there  are  some  changes,  is 
not  equal  to  the  first.  To  follow  more  faithfully  the  text 
of  Homer,  which  describes  Helen  seated,  surrounded  by  her 
women  and  directing  their  work,  he  has  added  two  female 
figures,  placed  behind  Paris,  who  appear  to  be  deriding  his 
weakness.  The  artist,  in  thus  adding  to  the  poet,  has  cer- 
tainly overshot  the  mark.  In  Homer,  Helen  might  reproach 
her  ravisher  for  not  being  a  gallant  warrior,  but  her  maids 
would  not  have  dared  to  turn  the  prince  into  ridicule  by 
oflTering  him  a  distaff.  The  addition  of  these  two  figures, 
and  the  want  of  decorum  in  their  attitude,  by  taking  from 
the  composition  part  of  its  truth,  has  also  detracted  from  the 
grandeur  and  simplicity  which  made  it  a  work  of  the  first 
order.  This  is,  however,  the  only  error  of  the  kind  com- 
mitted by  the  artist. ^ 

illiad,  Tj  vi,  1.  414     se?.   Bryant's  Translation. 

2  It  is  truo  that  the  ancients,  less  scrupulous  in  this  respect  than  the  moderns,  strove 
first  of  all  to  explain  the  scene,  often  to  the  injury  of  the  verisimilitude.  In  the 
greater  part  of  Thorvaldsen's  bas-reliefs,  the  figures  speak  for  themselves  by  their 
attitudes,  without  any  other  explanation.  S:e  "  Cupid  leaving  Psyche,"  "  Hylas  car- 
ried away  by  the  Nymphs." 


212 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEJ^. 


One  of  the  most  touching  scenes  in  the  Iliad  is  the  inter- 
view between  Hector  and  Andromache  at  the  Scaean  gate. 
The  hero,  on  the  point  of  leaving  for  the  battle-field,  meets 
his  wife,  accompanied  b}"  the  nurse  bearing  the  young  Asty- 
anax.    After  having  taken  a  tender  farewell  of  his  wife,  — 

"  Mighty  Hector  stretched  his  arms 
To  take  the  boy ;  the  boy  shrank  crying  back 
To  his  fair  nurse's  bosom,  scared  to  see 
His  father  helmeted  in  glittering  brass, 
And  eyeing  with  affright  the  horse-hair  plume 
That  grimly  nodded  from  the  lofty  crest. 
At  this  both  parents  in  their  fondness  laughed ; 
And  hastily  the  mighty  Hector  took 
The  helmet  from  his  brow  and  laid  it  down 
Gleaming  upon  the  ground,  and,  having  kissed 
His  darling  son  and  tossed  him  up  in  play, 
Prayed  thus  to  Jove  and  all  the  gods  of  heaven  :  — 

'  O  Jupiter,  and  all  ye  deities. 
Vouchsafe  that  this  my  son  may  yet  become 
Among  the  Trojans  eminent  like  me. 
And  nobly  rule  in  Ilium.    May  they  say, 
"This  man  is  greater  than  his  father  was." ' "  ' 

Hector,  raising  his  son  in  his  arms  and  invoking  the  gods, 
has  his  body  inclined  backward.  Andromache,  by  a  move- 
ment of  loving  sadness,  leans  her  forehead  against  her  hus- 
band's head.  Paris,  armed  for  the  fight,  comes  to  join  his 
brother. 

The  mind  of  Thorvaldsen,  which  interpreted  the  Ho- 
meric scenes  with  so  much  loftiness  and  truth,  lent  itself 
with  equal  facility  to  the  expression  of  the  graceful  fancies 
of  the  minor  Greek  poets.  To  interpret  Anacreon  was  to 
him  a  pastime,  an  every-day  amusement.  It  is  singular 
that  the  artist  should  have  given  colossal  proportions  to  the 
first  composition  taken  from  the  odes  of  this  poet, — the  group 


1  Iliad,  b.  vi,  1.  597-615.   Bryant's  Translation. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALBSEJSr. 


213 


of  "  Cupid  and  Mars,"  —  to  which  he  had  intended  to  add  two 
other  figures,  Venus  and  Vulcan ;  but  a  little  later  com- 
posed instead  a  bas-relief,  representing  the  whole  scene  of 
the  forty-fifth  ode  :  — 

"  In  his  smithy  at  Lemnos  the  husband  of  Venus 
Eor  Cupid  was  forging  some  arrowlets  small, 
His  mother,  fair  Cypris,  the  points  dipped  in  honey, 
Which  Eros,  the  rogue,  had  made  bitter  with  gall. 

Just  then  from  the  battle  great  Mars,  home  returning, 

Came  by  with  a  ponderous  dart  in  his  hand ; 
He  sneered  at  the  lightness  of  Cupid's  small  arrows. 

And  thought  that  such  weapons  a  gnat  might  withstand. 

The  little  god  handed  him  one  of  his  arrows. 

And  said  as  he  gave  it,  '  I  think  you  will  find 
That  mine  is  the  heavier.    Please  you  to  try  it.' 

(Fair  Venus,  meanwhile,  standing,  smiling,  behind.) 

So  Mars  took  the  arrow ;  but  presently  groaning, 
'  Take  it  back !  take  it  back ! '  he  cried  with  a  sigh. 

*  Take  it  back !  take  it  back !  for  me  it 's  too  heavy,' 
♦You've  got  it,  pray  keep  it,'  was  Cupid's  reply." 

The  artist  has  expressed  extremely  well  in  his  bas-relief 
the  astonishment  of  the  god  of  war,  and  the  malice  of 
Cupid  Venus,  by  a  graceful  movement,  turns  to  look  at 
Mars,  while  Vulcan  continues  his  work. 

The  sculptor  has  been  quite  as  successful  in  his  rendering 
of  the  fortieth  ode  of  Anacreon,  —  "  Cupid  stung  by  a  Bee." 
Here  the  god  is  represented  as  an  innocent  child,  uncon- 
scious of  the  pain  caused  by  his  arrows.  He  runs  to  Venus 
in  tears  to  tell  her  "that  he  has  been  wounded  by  a  little 
winged  serpent"  ;  and  his  mother  replies,  "  If  the  sting  of  a 
bee  hurts  you  so  much,  think  how  much  they  must  suflTer 
whom  you  have  pierced  to  the  heart  with  your  arrows  !  " 

In  another  work,  it  is,  on  the  contrary,  the  pitiless  con- 
queror of  the  world,  the  SI3-  and  cruel  god,  who  penetrates 


214  WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


into  the  dwelling  of  Anacreon.  For  the  proper  apprecia- 
tion of  the  ingenuity  of  the  composition,  and  the  skill  of  the 
sculptor,  it  is  necessary  to  cite  the  entire  third  ode :  — 


*  'T  was  noon  of  night,  when  round  the  pole 
The  sullen  Bear  is  seen  to  roll ; 
And  mortals,  wearied  with  the  day, 
Are  slumbering  all  their  cares  away : 
An  infant,  at  that  dreary  hour, 
Came  weeping  to  my  silent  bower, 
And  wak'd  me  with  a  piteous  prayer, 
To  save  him  from  the  midnight  air. 
'And  who  art  thou?'  I,  waking,  cry, 

*  That  bid'st  my  blissful  visions  fly?  * 

*  0  gentle  sire ! '  the  infant  said, 
'  In  pity  take  me  to  thy  shed ; 
Nor  fear  deceit :  a  lonely  child, 
I  wander  o'er  the  gloomy  wild. 
Chill  drops  the  rain,  and  not  a  ray 
Illumes  the  drear  and  misty  way  I ' 
I  hear  the  baby's  tale  of  woe ; 

I  hear  the  bitter  night  winds  blow ; 

And,  sighing  for  his  piteous  fate, 

I  trimm'd  my  lamp,  and  op'd  the  gate. 

'T  was  Love  !  the  little  wandering  sprite, 

His  pinion  sparkled  through  the  night  I 

I  knew  him  by  his  bow  and  dart, 

I  knew  him  by  my  fluttering  heart. 

I  take  him  in,  and  fondly  raise 

The  dying  embers'  cheering  blaze ; 

Press  from  his  dank  and  clinging  hair 

The  crystals  of  the  freezing  air. 

And  in  my  hand  and  bosom  hold 

His  little  fingers,  thrilling  cold. 

And  now  the  embers'  genial  ray 

Had  warmed  his  anxious  fears  away. 

'  I  pray  thee,'  said  the  wanton  child 

(My  bosom  trembled  as  he  smiled), 

'  I  pray  thee  let  me  try  my  bow. 

For  through  the  rain  I 've  wander'd  so, 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


215 


That  much  I  fear  the  ceaseless  shower 

Has  injurYl  its  elastic  power.' 

The  fatal  bow  the  urchin  drew ; 

Swift  from  the  string  the  arrow  flew ; 

Oh !  swift  it  flew  as  glancing  flame, 

And  to  my  very  soul  it  came. 

*rare  thee  well,'  I  heard  him  say, 

As  laughing  wild  he  wing'd  away ; 

*  Fare  thee  well,  for  now  I  know 

The  rain  has  not  relax'd  my  bow ; 

It  still  can  send  a  madd'ning  dart. 

As  thou  Shalt  own  with  all  thy  heart.*  "  ' 

Thorvaldsen  has  represented  Anacreon  seated,  and  has 
placed  near  the  poet  his  lyre,  with  the  thyrsus  and  am- 
phora of  Bacchus.  The  old  man  is  warming  and  drjdng 
the  wet  child,  who  regards  him  with  cool  maliciousness, 
while  plunging  an  arrow  into  his  heart.  The  antique  grace 
of  the  bas-relief  is  in  such  perfect  harmony  with  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  philosophic  idea  of  the  Greek  poet  to  whom 
Plato  gave  the  name  of  Sage  is  so  happily  expressed,  that 
nothing  is  wanting  to  this  exquisite  work,  —  to  our  thinking 
the  most  agreeable  of  Anacreontic  compositions. 

Love  bound  by  the  Graces  "  is  another  charming  fiction. 
The  god,  with  hands  tied,  is  bound  to  a  tree  by  chains  of 
roses.  The  three  sisters,  Ij'ing  on  the  grass,  are  playing  with 
his  arrows.  But  Love  appears  so  little  oflfended  by  their 
sport  that  he  remains  a  quiet  prisoner,  without  making  any 
eflfort  to  free  himself.  And  in  fact,  according  to  the  thir- 
tieth ode  of  Anacreon,  when  Venus,  informed  of  the  cap- 
tivity of  her  son,  hastens  to  ransom  him,  the  released  Cupid 
refuses  to  leave  the  society  of  the  Graces. 

Amatory  bas-reliefs  by  Thorvaldsen  are  very  numerous ; 
but  in  all  these  works,  even  in  the  most  trifling,  the  in- 
tention is  never  lascivious.    At  most,  we  find  one  or  two 


1  Translacion  by  Thomas  MooM. 


2l6 


WORKS  OF  THORVALBSEN. 


compositions  scarcely  finished,  representing  sat3Ts  and  bac- 
chantes, in  imitation  of  the  figures  painted  on  the  so-called 
Etruscan  vases,  which  could  possibly  be  called  equivocal, 

In  his  lightest,  as  well  as  in  his  severest  creations,  the 
artist  alwaj's  appears  as  much  occupied  by  the  idea  as  by  the 
form ;  and  thus  he  often  succeeds  in  imparting  a  serious  grace 
to  his  compositions,  without  rendering  them  insipid,  through 
too  much  sweetness.  This  observation  applies  equally'  to  his 
bas-reliefs  and  statues. 

"The  Shepherdess  with  a  Nest  of  Loves"  is  a  charming 
creation.  The  young  girl  has  before  her  every  shade  of  the 
tender  passion,  —  faithful  love,  passionate  love,  and  fickle 
love,  who  flies  awa}''  as  fast  as  his  wings  will  carrj-  him. 
This  composition  was  suggested  to  the  sculptor  b^^  an  an- 
tique fresco,  discovered  in  Pompeii,  in  the  house  called 
Homer's  (Casa  Omerica).  In  this  painting,  a  young  woman 
is  holding  a  nest,  and  looking  with  delight  at  three  babies 
just  come  out  of  the  egg.^  The  artist  intended,  doubtless,  to 
represent  Leda  contemplating  her  three  children,  —  Helen, 
Castor,  and  Pollux.  If  Thorvaldsen's  work  bear  some  re- 
semblance to  the  antique  by  the  character  and  style  of  the 
figures,  the  thought  is  not  the  same,  and  the  execution  wholly 
difi'erent. 

The  idea  of  the  bas-relief  of  "  The  Ages  of  Love  "  is  taken 
from  a  fresco,  found  at  Stabise.  In  the  antique  painting, 
"  The  Sale  of  Loves,"  ^  the  figure  of  the  saleswoman  is  quite 
commonplace.  But  the  Loves  —  sons  of  Mars,  of  Jupiter, 
or  of  Mercur}^  —  have  distinct  characteristics.  Thorvaldsen 
has  carried  this  idea  further,  and  represented  with  much  deli- 
cacy and  ingenuity  all  the  philosophic  stor}^  of  the  great  pas- 
sion which  reigns  over  the  human  race.  To  the  infant,  Love 
is  the  unknown,  exciting  curiosity.    The  little  girl  questions 

1  Compare  the  bas-relief  of  Thorvaldsen  with  the  copy  of  the  painting  in  the 
"Real  Museo  Borhonico,''  vol.  1,  pi.  xxiv. 
-  Real  Museo  Borbonico,  vol.  i,  pi.  xxiv. 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN.  217 


him  with  a  timid  and  innocent  look ;  tlie  3^oung  maiden 
soon  makes  him  the  object  of  her  modest  adoration ;  then 
follow  the  transports  of  passion,  succeeded  quickly  by  dis- 
enchantment ;  the  wings  of  Love  are  drooping.  The  god 
alights  in  conquering  attitude  on  the  shoulder  of  the  grown 
man,  who  bends  beneath  his  weight ;  and  when  the  old  man 
calls  him  with  a  trembling  voice,  the  mischievous  child  flies 
away,  deriding  him  who  invokes  him.^ 

The  bas-reliefs  of  Thorvaldsen,  considered  collectively,  form 
a  work  distinguished  by  its  infinite  variet3^  To  turn  alter- 
nately from  Homeric  subjects  to  the  lighter  suggestions  of 
fancy  seems  to  have  been  mental  diversion  only  for  the 
sculptor.  We  have  endeavored  to  point  out  the  distinctive 
characteristics  of  the  great  number  of  compositions  which 
attest  a  mind  largely  receptive  of  the  beautiful,  and  rich  in 
creative  power.  Such  a  union  of  grace  and  strength,  com- 
bined with  so  fruitful  an  imagination,  has  been  seldom  vouch 
safed  to  any  artist. 


1  Compare  tlie  song  of  Beranger,  "  La  Fuite  de  I'Amour." 


REBECCA  AND  ELIEZER. 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


219 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Thorv^aldsen  considered  as  a  Sculptor  of  Sacred  Subjects. — The 
Christ  aud  the  Twelve  Apostles.  —  Friezes.  —  The  Pediment  of 
the  Frue  Kirke  of  Copenhagen.  —  Sepulchral  Monuments. 


0% 


With  regard  to  the  re- 
ligious works  of  Thor- 
valdsen,  most  of  which 
are  collected  in  the  Fi^ue 
Kirke  at  Copenhagen, 
there  is  much  diversity 
of  opinion,  though  no 
one  disputes  their  admi- 
rable severity  of  style. 
It  was  at  Rome  that 
most  of  these  were  mod- 
elled ;  and  before  the 
artist  had  completed  his 
first  sketch,  his  o]3po- 
nents  were  already  striv- 
ing to  demonstrate  that 
it  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  give  the 
Christian  idea  its  ade- 
quate expression. 
At  this  period,  the  so-called  school  of  "Nazarenes"  was 
flourishing  in  Italy.  The  imitators  of  Overbeck  had  pushed 
to  exaggeration  the  tendencies  of  their  master.   This  painter, 


THE  CHRIST. 


220 


WOBKS  OF  THOnVALDSEN. 


while  studying  Raphael,  the  pupil  of  Perugino,  had  allowed 
himself  to  be  carried  away  by  his  personal  feeling  for  Fra 
Angelico.  His  imitators  went  as  far  back  as  Giotto,  and,  to 
secure  the  naivete  of  their  model,  they  even  borrowed  his 
processes  of  painting.  Thorvaldsen  could  not  lay  claim  to 
the  approbation  of  this  school,  which  was  indeed  bitterly 
hostile,  and  openl}^  denied  to  him  the  possession  of  the  reli- 
gious sentiment.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Lutheran  Church, 
which,  from  the  severity  of  its  principles,  welcomes  onh"  with 
reserve  works  of  art  in  houses  of  worship,  accepted  Thor- 
valdsen's,  as  being  by  their  austerity  the  most  reverent  artis- 
tic expression  of  revealed  religion. 

Upon  entering  the  Frue  Kirke  at  Copenhagen,  we  are 
struck  by  the  imposing  aspect  of  the  colossal  figure  of  the 
Christ,  surrounded  by  the  twelve  apostles.  Thorvaldsen  fol- 
lowed the  counsel  of  Winckelmann  :  his  Christ  is  as  beautiful 
as  Raphael's  or  Leonardo  da  Vinci's. ^  The  hair  of  the  Saviour 
is  parted  in  the  middle,  after  the  fashion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Nazareth.  The  face  is  not  perhaps  in  perfect  harmonj^  with 
the  general  character  of  the  statue.  The  Man-God  is  stand- 
ing ;  and  we  are  almost  surprised  to  see  that  gentle  head,  so 
pure  and  delicate  in  drawing,  bowed  down  upon  a  breast  as 
broad  as  that  of  Hercules.  The  strong  arms  are  stretched 
out  with  a  loving  gesture,  as  though  calling  to  him  all  who 
are  sorrowful  and  heavy  laden ;  but  the  stout  legs  attach  to 
the  earth  the  Master  of  the  world  ;  and  we  ask  ourselves  if 

1 "  Modern  artists  ought  to  have  foi'med  their  figures  of  the  Saviour  conformably  to 
the  ideas  which  the  ancients  entertained  of  the  beauty  of  their  heroes,  and  thus  made 
him  correspond  to  the  prophetic  declaration,  which  announces  him  as  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  the  children  of  men.  But  the  idea  of  most  figures  of  him,  beginning  with 
Michel  Angelo.  appears  to  be  borrowed  from  the  barbarous  works  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  and  there  can  be  nothing  more  ignoble  than  the  face  in  such  heads  of  Christ. 
How  much  more  noble  the  conceptions  of  Raphael  are  may  be  seen  in  a  small  orig- 
inal drawing,  in  the  lloyal  Farnese  Museum  at  Naples,  which  represents  our  Saviour's 
burial,  and  in  which  his  head  exhibits  the  beauty  of  a  young  hero  without  beard.  .  .  . 
But  if  such  a  face  should  possibly  appear  to  the  artist  a  scandalous  innovation  on  the 
customary  representation  of  the  Saviour  with  a  beard,  let  him  study  the  Saviour  of 
Leonardo  da  Vinci."   Winckelmann.  vol.  ii,  pp.  89-90.   Lodge's  Translation, 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEW. 


221 


this  can  be  that  same  Christ,  that  diaphanous  figure  which 
glided  over  the  surface  of  the  waters. 

The  Christ  is  placed  in  front  of  the  chancel,  and  the 
apostles  are  arranged  in  opposite  rows  down  the  na,ve.  St. 
Peter  and  St.  Paul  are  nearest  their  divine  Master.  Upon  the 
Saviour's  right,  after  St.  Peter  come  Matthew,  John,  James 
the  Less,  Philip,  and  Thaddeus.  On  the  left,  next  to  St. 
Paul,  are  Simon  Zelotes,  Bartholomew,  James  the  Greater, 
Thomas,  and  Andrew. 

To  each  of  these  figures  the  artist  has  given  a  distinct 
individuality.  St.  Peter  expresses  faith,  St.  Paul  the  power 
of  the  Gospel ;  there  is  more  of  gentleness  and  love  in  the 
features  of  St.  John ;  an  austere  resignation  is  imprinted 
upon  the  countenance  of  St.  Simon.  Nevertheless,  in  atti- 
tude and  disposition  of  drapery,  in  the  severity  as  well  as 
beauty  of  the  types,  the  apostles  are  less  like  saints  and  mar- 
tyrs than  philosophers  and  sages. 

"The  Angel  of  Baptism"  has  a  more  Christian  aspect. 
There  is  an  expression  of  ecstasy  mingled  with  the  conven- 
tional serenity  of  the  face  which  is  more  allied  to  religious 
sentiment.  Kneeling  in  the  centre  of  the  nave,  this  angel 
holds  a  large  shell-shaped  vase  for  holy  water. 

These  great  works  do  not  compose  the  whole  of  the  inte- 
rior adornment  of  the  Frue  Kirke.  Behind  and  above  the 
altar  is  the  frieze  representing  our  Lord  on  the  road  to  Cal- 
vary, extremely  well  composed,  but  somewhat  feeble  in 
execution.  Upon  the  walls  of  the  side  aisles  are  two  other 
friezes,  "The  Baptism  of  Jesus"  and  "The  Lord's  Supper." 
Above  the  alms-chest  is  a  small  bas-relief  illustrative  of 
Christian  charity  ;  and,  opposite,  "  The  Guardian  Angel." 

When  Thorvaldsen  made  the  model  for  the  Supper,  the 
Copenhagen  world  was  astonished  at  first,  and  almost  shocked, 
at  the  sight  of  so  unconventional  a  composition.  The  Saviour 
is  represented  standing,  while  his  apostles,  kneeling,  are 
grouped  around  him ;  an  arrangement  which  implies  that 


222 


LIFE  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


the  institution  of  the  eucharist  took  place  after  the  Master 
and  his  disciples  had  risen  from  the  table.  But  people 
soon  became  reconciled  to  this  new  idea,  which  after  all 
has  nothing  in  it  precisely  contrary  to  the  traditions  of  the 
Church. 

The  portal  of  the  Frue  Kirke  is  surmounted  by  an  immense 
frieze,  "  Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem"  ;  and,  lastly,  the  ped- 
iment is  composed  of  an  admirable  composition  in  terra  cotta, 
"  The  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist."  Following  the 
wise  method  adopted  b}^  the  Greeks  i  to  give  greater  play  of 
light  and  shade,  Thorvaldsen  did  not  content  himself  with 
carving  this  pediment  in  half-relief :  he  has,  on  the  contrarj^, 
composed  it  of  entirely  detached  figures.  This  work  is 
stamped  with  the  character  proper  to  the  Biblical  scene. 
The  subject  was  more  suited  to  the  sculptor's  turn  of  mind. 
It  was  not  God  himself  he  had  to  portray,  but  simply  him 
who  is  the  forerunner  of  God.  The  hour  of  struggle  and 
martyrdom  had  not  3- et  struck,  and  Christianity  existed  only 
in  the  mind  of  the  Precursor. 

1 "  After  the  proofs  furnished  us  by  the  superb  discovery  of  eighteen  figures  from 
the  two  pediments  of  the  temple  of  ^gina,  the  vast  groups  of  more  than  forty  colos- 
sal statues  of  the  two  pediments  of  the  Parthenon,  the  description  by  Diodorus  of 
the  sculptures  in  the  pediments  of  the  temples  of  the  Olympian  Jupiter  at  Agrigen- 
tum,  and  that  which  Pausanias  gives  of  the  groups  which  once  stood  in  the  pediments 
of  the  temples  at  Olympia,  Tegea,  Thebes,  Delphi,  etc..  —  after  all  these  proofs,  what 
can  be  more  certain  than  the  fact  that  the  Greeks,  in  the  finest  period  of  their  archi- 
tecture, always  placed  in  the  pediments  of  their  great  peripteral  temples,  whether 
hexastylc  or  octostyle,  entire  figures  and  never  bas-reliefs  ?  And  how  could  this  fact, 
re-established  by  purely  historical  methods,  be  better  supported,  or  how  could  the 
question,  why  did  the  Greeks  lay  down  and  practise  such  a  rule,  be  better  answered, 
than  by  our  evcry-day  experience ;  which  teaches  us  that  only  figures  entirely  de- 
tached from  the  background  and  sculptured  in  complete  relief  are  capable  of  produc- 
in'^  the  proper  efi'ect,  when  seen  at  a  considerable  height,  whilst  all  sculptures  in  low 
relief  are  wanting  in  that  most  material  point,  depth  of  shadow  and  the  decision  of 
contour  which  results  from  it,  —  matters  indispens.ably  necessary  if  a  figure  placed  at 
any  considerable  elevation  is  to  be  seen  clearly  and  distinctly."  Thus  says  Brond- 
Bted  (Voj'age  en  Grece) ,  and  he  adds  that  this  rule  is  not  now  followed  (1830),  be- 
cause "we  are  always  accustomed  in  our  schools  to  confine  ourselves  to  the  imitated 
models  of  the  Komans,"  whilst  we  neglect  the  axiom  of  the  Greeks  :  '•  The  capital 
ornament,  the  great  pediment  adorned  with  sculptures,  should  stand  out  boldly,  like  a 
vaat  diadem,  sharply  and  artistically  carved,  crowning  the  whole  edifice." 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN.  223 


"  The  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,"  a  complex  work, 
merits  an  attentive  examination.  The  character  of  the 
figures,  the  idea  they  express,  the  contrasts  between  them, 
—  all  contribute  toward  the  harmonious  general  arrange- 
ment of  the  composition.  The  Baptist  is  in  the  centre  :  his 
attitude  is  noble,  natural,  and  decorous.  He  stands  upon  a 
rock,  which  raises  him  above  his  audience.  He  speaks,  ana 
points  to  heaven.  It  is  not  by  a  fiery  eloquence  that  he  ia 
seeking  to  persuade  ^  his  words  are  simple,  because  they  pro- 
claim the  coming  of  the  Word  of  Truth.  The  conviction 
which  takes  possession  of  the  minds  of  his  hearers  expresses 
itself  in  the  several  attitudes  of  each.  It  is  profound  in  the 
man  nearest  St.  John,  who  is  deep  in  thought  while  waiting 
to  be  baptized ;  simple  and  spontaneous  in  the  women ; 
irresistible  in  the  j-outh,  who  already  manifests  an  impatient 
fervor.  The  doctor,  habituated  to  discussion,  does  not  re- 
ceive so  readily  the  new  ideas  :  he  only  yields  after  mature 
reflection.  The  Pharisee,  in  his  pride,  protests  against  words 
which  astonish,  but  do  not  touch  him  ;  while  the  sportsman, 
whom  accident  has  brought  to  the  spot,  gives  himself  up 
unresistingly  to  his  emotion.  His  dog  is  occupying  the 
attention  of  two  children ;  whilst  the  last  person  in  the 
scene,  a  shepherd,  looks  on  with  indifi*erence.  The  most 
beautiful  part  of  the  composition,  to  our  mind,  is  a  group  of 
two  figures  on  the  right  of  the  Saint.  A  young  man,  alreadj^ 
converted,  leans  upon  the  shoulder  of  his  father,  and  watches 
with  an  unspeakable  expression  of  sweetness  and  pious  satis- 
faction the  impression  produced  by  the  Baptist's  words.  The 
father's  manly  face  is  uplifted,  he  seems  struck  with  aston- 
ishment ;  and  we  feel  that  he  will  say  presentl}^,  like  the 
Pauline  of  Corneille,  "  Je  vols,  je  crois,  je  suis  desabuse." 

Throughout  the  whole  composition  the  emotions  of  the 
mind  are  more  deeply  marked  on  the  countenances  of  the 
auditors  than  is  usually  permitted  by  the  rules  of  Greek  art. 

The  arrangement  of  the  pediment  is  skilfully  studied  witl^ 


224  WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEJSr. 


a  view  to  harmony.  The  figures,  whether  standing  or 
leaning,  seated  or  lying  down,  whether  differing  in  age, 
height,  or  costume,  form  (according  to  the  rule  of  Mengs) 
a  pjTamid,  though  their  heads  are  not  ranged  in  a  perfectly 
straight  line,  which  would  be  both  monotonous  and  unnat- 
ural. 

Two  figures  designed  for  a  part  of  this  immense  composi- 
tion have  been  left  out :  one,  a  Roman  soldier,  leaning  against 
a  rock  ;  the  other,  a  Jew  sitting  on  the  ground.  Though  both 
are  fine,  it  is  not  strange  that  Thorvaldsen  excluded  them. 
We  do  not  see  how  they  could  have  been  added  without 
destroying  the  harmon}^  of  outline  of  the  pediment.  As  it 
now  stands,  the  "Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist"  is  an 
admirable  work.  There  is  true  feeling  in  the  figures,  and 
the  composition  is  happy  and  skilful ;  while  the  grand  thought 
that  should  be  dominant  in  the  scene  is  Yeiy  correctly  ex- 
pressed. 

The  philosophic  rather  than  the  strictly  Christian  charac- 
ter of  Thorvaldsen's  religious  works  is  more  strikingly  mani- 
fested in  his  sepulchral  monuments,  —  in  the  tomb  of  the 
Duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  for  example.  Eugene  de  Beauhar- 
nais,  step-son  of  Napoleon  I,  and  Viceroy  of  Italy,  remained 
devoted  to  the  Emperor  in  adversity  as  well  as  in  prosperity, 
and  refused  to  purchase  at  the  price  of  treason  the  throne 
which  the  allied  sovereigns  offered  to  guarantee  to  him.  The 
monument  erected  in  the  Church  of  St,  Michael  in  Munich 
represents  the  prince  on  the  point  of  descending  into  the 
tomb,  upon  the  door  of  which  is  inscribed  his  device, — 
"  Honor  and  Fidelity."  He  is  in  Roman  costume,  and  has 
laid  aside  his  helmet  and  breast-plate,  retaining  only  his 
loyal  sword.  He  presses  his  left  hand  to  his  heart,  and  pre- 
sents to  the  Muse  of  History  the  onl}^  thing  which  remains 
to  him,  —  his  crown  of  laurel.  Standing  beside  him  on  the 
left  is  the  Angel  of  Death,  upon  whom  is  leaning  the  Genius 
of  Immortality.    There  is  nothing  particularly  religious  in 


WOBKS  OF  TROBYALDSEm 


225 


this  composition,  but  it  expresses  with  grandeur  a  noble  sen- 
timent. 

The  absence  of  the  Christian  idea  is  no  less  striking  in  the 
beautiful  marble  placed  over  the  tomb  of  Prince  Potocki,  in 
the  cathedral  of  Cracow,  which  represents  the  3"oung  hero 
clothed  in  the  antique  costume.  It  might  be  taken  for  a 
Marcus  Aurelius. 

In  the  mausoleum  of  the  illustrious  and  able  defender  of 
the  church,  Cardinal  Consalvi,  the  artist  has  succeeded  in 
expressing  happily  the  Catholic  idea  ;  but  in  the  monument 
of  Pius  VII  there  is,  perhaps,  an  aiming  after  grandeur  and 
force  hardly  in  keeping  with  Christian  humilit3^  Here  we 
find,  also,  as  in  the  tomb  of  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  a 
species  of  compromise  between  the  Catholic  dogma  and 
Greek  mythology,  —  a  result  of  carrying  the  doctrines  of 
Winckelmann  to  extremes,  a  common  mistake  of  artists  at 
this  period.  Canova,  in  the  tombs  of  Clement  XIII  and 
Clement  XIV,  had  already  expressed  grief,  gentleness,  and 
moderation  under  the  figure  of  slightl}^  clothed  and  almost 
pagan  genii. ^  Thorvaldsen,  having  to  personify  wisdom  and 
strength,  also  went  back  to  heathen  sources.  The  Greeks 
worshipped  these  virtues  under  the  forms  of  Minerva 
and  Hercules ;  and  the  artist  has  scarcely  done  more  than 
appropriate,  with  a  change  of  name  and  attribute,  these 
types. 

Wisdom  bears  on  her  breast  the  aegis,  but  a  cherub's  head 
has  been  substituted  for  the  Medusa ;  a  crown  of  laurel  re- 
places the  helmet ;  the  Bible  serves  for  the  shield.  At  her 
side  is  the  symbolic  owl. 

As  Hercules  could  not  be  transformed  into  a  woman  for 
the  second  statue,  lole  replaces  him,  clothed  in  his  lion's 
skin,  which  covers  her  head,  and  falls  over  her  shoulders ; 
but,  disdaining  brutal  force,  she  tramples  under  foot  the  club, 


1  Etudes  sur  les  Beaux- Arts,  by  M.  H.  Delaborde. 


226 


WORKS  OF  THOEVALDSEN-. 


and  crosses  her  arras  on  her  breast  to  express  by  this  attitude 
her  trustful  resignation  to  the 'will  of  God.^ 

In  his  large  number  of  bas-reliefs  intended  for  tombs, 
genii  most  frequently  figure,  while  the  symbols  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith  are  rarely  emplo3'ed.  Man}^  of  these  bas-reliefs 
might  ornament  a  Roman  mausoleum,  as  they  seldom  con- 
vey any  religious  thought  but  the  immortality  of  the  soul. 
The  monument  of  the  Baroness  Chandr}^,  however,  presents 
to  view  the  figure  of  a  woman  pressing  a  cross  fervently  to 
her  breast.  Draped  in  her  shroud,  with  uplifted  head,  she 
seems  to  spring  toward  heaven,  rising  in  air  with  the  light- 
ness of  an  impalpable  form. 

Thorvaldsen  had  been  educated  in  the  Lutheran  faith :  he 
lived  at  Rome  in  an  atmosphere  of  Catholicism,  at  a  time  of 
great  political  agitation,  and  when,  as  it  is  well  known,  all 
beliefs  were  shaken.  The  mind  of  the  artist  was  affected  by 
these  uncertainties,  and  the  result  was  indifl'erence.  A  friend 
once  remarking  to  him  that  his  want  of  religious  faith  must 
make  it  difficult  for  him  to  express  Christian  ideas  in  his 
works,  —  "If  I  were  altogether  an  unbeliever,"  he  replied, 
"  whj^  should  that  give  me  any  trouble?  Have  I  not  repre- 
sented pagan  divinities?  —  still,  I  don't  believe  in  them." 

In  speaking  thus,  the  sculptor,  in  our  opinion,  has  given 
the  key  to  the  character  of  his  works.  Tliey  are  the  product 
of  his  fine  intellect :  his  heart  bore  no  part  in  their  creation. 

Thorvaldsen  held  fast  to  his  artistic  faith,  even  when 

1  Stendhal,  in  his  Tromenades  dans  Rome,"  speaks  several  times  of  Thorvaldsen, 
and,  generally,  in  no  friendly  spirit.  He  judges  of  the  merit  of  the  artist  only  from 
the  tomh  of  I'ius  VII.  He  says  of  this  monument :  *'  I  saw  it  in  an  advanced  state 
in  his  atelier  (1828).  There  are,  as  usual,  three  colossal  figures,  the  Pope  and  two 
Virtues.  Pius  VII  is  represented  seated,  and  giving  the  benediction.  With  a  little 
audacity,  he  might  have  been  represented  standing,  and  replying  to  the  anger  of  Na- 
poleon. One  of  the  Virtues  is  '  Wisdom,'  reading  a  book ;  the  other  is  '  Strength  of 
Character,'  clothed  in  the  lion's  skin,  with  crossed  arms,  and  eyes  raised  to  heaven. 
If  this  work  is  superior  to  all  the  commonplace  tombs  we  find  in  St.  Peter's,  we  must 
thank  the  revolution  efibcted  in  art  by  the  illustrious  David.  That  great  artist  a  tue. 
la  qtieue  du  Bernin,  — has  given  the  finishing  blow  to  Bernini  and  his  train.  (I  ask 
pardon  for  this  mot  of  a  great  painter,  —  one  of  my  friends.) " 


WOBKS  OF  TH0BVALD8EN.  227 


illustrating  Christian  subjects.  He  never  abjured  his  worship 
of  severe  beauty,  as  the  Greeks  understood  it.  We  find  in 
his  statues  one  reminiscence  only  of  Gothic  art.  The  medi- 
aeval sculptors  often  produced  a  pleasing  spiral  effect  in  the 
borders  of  their  draperies.  We  recognize  a  similar  effect  in 
the  figures  of  the  apostles.  Was  it  the  instinct  of  his  race 
which  here  revealed  itself?  We  are  more  inclined  to  think 
that  the  artist  found  similar  examples  in  some  antique  works 
in  which  they  exist,  and  that  his  clear-sighted  mind  saw  the 
use  to  which  they  might  be  put.  In  fact,  Thorvaldsen's  style 
is  wholly  derived  from  the  Greeks ;  and  even  in  his  Chris- 
tian subjects  he  followed  the  heirs  of  those  great  masters, 
who,  having  settled  in  Italy,  were  the  first  to  reproduce 
in  mosaic  the  Christ,  the  Virgin,  and  the  Apostles. ^  The 
Danish  sculptor  was  acquainted  with  these  Greco-Latin 
mosaics.  The  st3de  of  the  great  school  of  antiquity  had 
doubtless  much  degenerated  in  the  hands  of  the  artists  exe- 
cuting them.  Nevertheless,  those  artists,  still  in  love  with 
beaut}^,  had  not  altogether  lost  the  tradition  of  it. 

The  worship  of  the  beautiful  in  form  is,  we  need  not  say, 
no  obstacle  to  the  expression  of  religious  feeling.  But,  for 
the  work  to  be  thoroughly  stamped  with  this  feeling,  the 
man  must  put  into  it  all  the  fervor  with  which  his  soul  is 
filled.  Thorvaldsen  had  not  the  enthusiasm  which  comes  of 
faith :  aiming,  above  all,  at  beauty,  if  he  ever  animates  his 
figures,  it  is  with  philosophic  thought ;  and  his  works  are 
more  fitted  to  satisfy  the  mind  of  the  thinker  than  the 
heart  of  the  Christian. 

1  Such  works  exist  at  Rome,  in  the  churches  of  St.  Cosmo  and  St.  Damian,  St. 
Praxedes,  St.  Prudentiana,  St.  Paul  without  the  walls,  and  St.  Maria  Maggiore. 


THE  ARMS  OF  ACHILLES. 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALhSEN. 


229 


CHAPTER  V. 

Thorvaldsen's  Rapidity  of  Conception.  —  Severity  of  his  Judgments 
upon  his  own  Works.  —  The  Fire  of  First  Inspiration  tempered 
by  Reflection.  —  Creative  Genius.  —  Canova.  —  Bartolini.  —  Er- 
ror of  Mme.  de  Stael.  —  The  Scandinavian  Genius  of  Thorvald- 
sen  applies  the  Principles  of  Greek  Art. 

The  first  impression  upon  visiting  the 
Thorvaldsen  Museum  in  Copenhagen 
is  amazement  at  the  great  productive- 
ness of  the  artist.  The  vast  galleries, 
the  long  corridors,  the  numerous 
rooms  of  this  Etruscan  palace,  the 
lofty  walls,  and  even  the  staircase, 
are  all  filled  and  lined  with  statues 
and  bas-reliefs ;  and  the  catalogue 
which  guides  the  stranger  through 
this  immense  museum,  enclosing,  also, 
the  modest  tomb  of  the  sculptor,  con- 
tains no  less  than  six  hundred  and 
forty-eight  numbers.  In  presence  of 
such  a  wealth  of  original  composi- 
tions, it  is  difficult  to  understand  how 
any  critic  could  represent  Thorvald- 
sen as  a  patient  imitator,  entirely 
wanting  in  imagination. 
As  we  have  alread}^  seen  in  the 
APOLLO.  histor}'  of  his  life,  the  Danish  artist 

was  especially  distinguished  for  the 
creative  power  of  his  mind.    The  accident  of  his  birth,  in  the 


230 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


first  place,  but,  much  more,  a  strong  vocation,  made  him  a 
sculptor.  That  which  was  toil  to  his  father  was  the  pastime 
of  his  childhood.  While  still  very  young,  he  was  gifted  with 
extraordinary  natural  facility,  composing  and  sketching  upon 
the  spur  of  the  moment  with  all  the  unconsciousness  of 
youth.  Throughout  his  whole  career,  he  found  in  himself 
this  innate  resource  ;  but  far  from  abusing  it,  even  in  his 
3'outh,  he  was  distrustful  of  this  precious  gift. 

His  fears,  his  school-boy  terror,  when  competing  for  the 
Aca,demy  prize,  are  proofs  of  this.  From  the  beginning 
he  seemed  to  understand  all  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
the  artist  who  would  devote  himself  seriously  to  his  pro- 
fession. 

The  same  feeling  led  him  when  he  first  went  to  Rome  to 
study  the  antique  with  such  indefatigable  patience,  and  made 
him  alwa^'s  dissatisfied  with  his  first  essays,  which  he  de- 
stroyed as  soon  as  made. 

In  all  the  plenitude  of  his  power,  and  even  of  his  fame, 
Thorvaldsen  continued  to  be  severe  toward  himself.  He 
was  quick  in  conception,  and  composed  with  great  facility. 
When  he  wished  to  celebrate,  for  instance,  the  birthday  of 
his  friend  the  Baroness  von  Schubart,  a  few  da3^s  suflSced 
him  to  design  and  execute  the  charming  bas-relief  of  "  The 
Dance  of  the  Muses." 

Conception  with  the  master,  therefore,  was  ever  rapid, 
the  first  execution  easy ;  but  the  disciple  of  Winckelmann 
possessed  too  refined  a  taste  to  be  easily  satisfied,  and  con- 
sequentl}'  he  thought  long  over  his  works,  retouched, 
matured  his  plan,  and  in  many  instances  made  a  new  com- 
position. In  his  mind's  ej^e,  he  saw  an  ideal  so  lofty  and 
perfect  that  he  could  not  easily  attain  to  it :  hence,  his 
hesitations,  his  severity  with  himself  when  other  artists 
would  have  been  proud  of  their  work.  Nevertheless,  with  a 
thorough  comprehension  of  the  extent  of  his  abilities,  when 
he  believed  he  had  touched  the  goal  he  stopped. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


231 


Nothing  is  more  interesting  than  to  study  the  collection 
of  small,  rough  models. in  one  of  the  rooms  on  the  first  floor 
of  the  Copenhagen  IMuseum.  In  them  the  observer  beholds 
the  mind  of  the  artist  wrestling  with  his  subject :  he  is 
present,  as  it  were,  at  the  birth  of  the  idea,  and  sees  its  first 
expression ;  then  come  the  retouches,  the  successive  altera- 
tions, up  to  the  final  completion  of  the  work. 

"The  Christ"  is  one  of  the  subjects  upon  which  the  sculp- 
tor was  the  longest  engaged.  In  the  first  sketch,  which  is 
undraped  and  purely  anatomical,  the  upper  part  of  the  body 
is  inclined  backward  by  a  very  marked  movement.  The 
head  is  raised,  the  eyes  uplifted  to  heaven. 1  "The  Christ" 
is  advancing,  he  stops,  looks  up  to  heaven,  and  pronounces 
a  benediction.  Such  must  have  been  the  first  idea  of  the 
sculptor. 

In  the  second  sketch,  the  figure  is  draped,  and  smaller. 
The  attitude  is  almost  the  same,  but  calmer,  and  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  head  backward  is  less  violent. 

Then  comes  a  model  in  plaster,  larger  and  in  a  more 
advanced  state  of  completion.  The  head  is  erect,  the  eyes 
looking  forward.  Both  arms  are  extended  by  a  simple  ac- 
tion, as  though  inviting  men  to  come  to  their  Redeemer. 
The  face  has  emerged  from  the  formless  block  of  the  first 
studies:  it  is  calm  and  noble.  The  draper}^  is  long,  and 
trails  on  the  ground.  The  body,  meagre  in  the  first  sketches, 
is  now  fully  developed,  and  the  chest  is  broad.  Still,  in  its 
finished  state,  the  statue,  in  some  important  points,  differs 
widely  from  this  model.  Both  feet  rest  on  the  ground  by  a 
powerful  action  ;  while  the  head,  slightly  inclined  forward,  is 
expressive  of  sweetness  and  benevolence. 

The  attitude  of  "The  Christ"  was  definitely  settled  in  a 
rough  model,  which  is  not  in  this  collection.    This  is  the 


^This  figuic  has  no  arms,  but,  from  the  action  of  the  shoulders,  it  is  probable  that 
ihe  right  arm  was  to  be  raised,  and  the  left  extended.  The  body  rests  on  the  left 
foot,  the  light  foot  is  thrown  back,  and  Ufted  from  the  ground. 


232 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEX. 


story,  as  related  to  us  by  the  Danish  professor  who  was  with 
Thorvaldsen  in  his  studio  at  Rome,  at  the  time  :  — 

"The  master  and  I  were  going  out  to  a  party,  and,  just  as  we  were 
crossing  the  threshold,  he  turned  back,  and  I  followed  him.  He 
stopped  in  front  of  his  '  Christ,'  and  looked  at  it  some  moments, 
without  uttering  a  word.  The  clay  statuette  had  the  head  erect,  one 
of  the  arms  raised,  the  other  extended.  Suddenly,  the  artist  ad- 
vanced with  a  firm  step,  like  a  man  who  has  just  made  up  his  mind, 
and  seizing  the  arms  bent  both  down  by  a  quick  movement.  With  a 
few  hasty  touches,  he  soon  reshaped  them,  and  taking  a  few  steps 
backward,  cried  out,  'There  is  my  "Christ"!  That  is  the  way  it 
shall  be.'   He  then  hurried  me  away,  and  we  left  the  atelier." 

Thorvaldsen  did,  however,  make  some  farther  alterations 
in  this  masterly  work ;  but  the  general  attitude  which  gives 
to  the  figure  of  Christ  the  benignant  majesty  of  the  Olympian 
Jupiter  remained  unchanged  from  this  moment. 

This  anecdote  seems  worth  preserving,  because  it  paints  to 
the  life  the  artist's  character,  and  exhibits  also  the  turn  of  his 
mind,  and  his  method  of  working.  His  first  conceptions 
were  perfectly  free,  and  not  wanting  even  in  a  certain  im- 
petuosity, as  can  be  shown  by  the  attitudes  of  man}'  of  his 
sketches.  1  It  was  only  by  reflection  and  studj^  that  he  suc- 
ceeded in  tempering  this  violent  action,  and  thus  gave  to  his 
statues  that  calm  and  grand  aspect  which  he  admired  in  the 
Greek  style,  and  which  has  sometimes  brought  upon  him  the 
accusation  of  coldness. 

Thorvaldsen's  geniusi  was  eminently  creative :  he  dis- 
pla3^ed  the  utmost  ardor  in  his  manipulation  of  the  clay,  in 
his  efibrts  to  extract  from  it  the  form  which  his  mind  had 
conceived,  to  give  to  it  the  impress  of  his  thought  When 
it  seemed  to  him  that  it  sufl3ciently  expressed  his  idea,  he 
himself  made  the  plaster  cast,  which  generall}'  he  finished 
with  care,  and  consigned  to  his  workmen  as  a  model :  it  was 

1  Compare  also  the  attitude  of  Achilles  in  the  two  variations  of  the  bas-relief  of  the 
"Abduction  of  Briseis";  that  of  Alexander,  &c. 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN.  233 


their  task  to  translate  it  into  marble.  This  work  was  done 
under  his  own  eye,  in  his  ateliers :  he  constantly  superin- 
tended it,  very  often  retouching  and  sometimes  finishing  it 
with  his  own  hand. 

This  manner  of  working  gave  artists,  envious  of  his  suc- 
cess, occasion  to  say  that  no  doubt  he  knew  how  to  model 
tolerably  well,  but  that  he  could  not  cut  the  marble.  Once 
when  such  remarks  were  repeated  to  him,  "Bring  me  a 
block  of  Carrara  or  Paros,"  he  said,  "take  away  my  chisel, 
tie  my  hands,  and  I  will  make  a  statue  come  out  of  it  with 
my  teeth." 

Nothing,  indeed,  could  be  more  unjust  than  such  a  criti- 
cism ;  and  the  "  Adonis'*  of  the  Glyptothek  of  Munich,  which 
was  wholly  executed  by  the  artist,  according  to  the  agree- 
ment made  with  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria,  is  its  most  elo- 
quent and  unanswerable  refutation. 

Ought  we  to  regret  that  Thorvaldsen  did  not,  as  in  this 
case,  finish  in  marble  with  his  own  hands  all  his  works  ?  If 
the  artist  had,  in  every  instance,  undertaken  this  labor,  we 
might  have  been  the  richer  by  a  few  statues  perfect  as  the 
"Adonis,"  1  but  we  should  have  lost,  perhaps,  more  than  one 
of  the  best  creations  of  the  master .2 

Thorvaldsen  and  Canova  have  been  so  often  compared, 

1  The  marbles  executed  by  his  pupils  are  not  always  done  as  carefully  as  the  models 
of  the  master.  Thus,  to  form  a  correct  judgment  of  Thorvaldsen's  work,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  see  the  collection  o€  plaster  models  in  the  Copenhagen  Museum. 

2  Is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  greatest  sculptors  of  Greece  pursued  the 
same  course  in  this  respect  as  the  Danish  artist  ?  One  writer  even  asserts  that  they 
were  accustomed  to  divide  their  works  into  several  pieces,  so  as  to  employ  a  greater 
number  of  assistants  :  — 

''  Who  does  not  know  (and  we  could  cite  here  examples  and  authorities)  that  the 
great  artists  of  antiquity,  intrusted,  as  they  were,  with  immense  works,  almost  be- 
yond the  conception  of  modern  times,  made  use  of  the  expeditious  method  of  cutting 
up  their  models,  which  they  delivered,  thus  divided,  to  their  workmen,  in  order  to 
accelerate  the  work,  and  render  their  subalterns  more  useful,  to  whom,  as  it  often 
happened,  they  abandoned  entirely  the  execution  of  certain  accessories,  which,  in  the 
finest  works,  are  sometimes  treated  with  a  great  deal  of  negligence,  and  little  senti- 
ment?"—  Bouillon's  Musee  des  Antiques,  vol  i  La  Venus  de  ilfe7os,  treatise  by  J. 
B.  Saint- Victor. 


234  WOBKS    OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


that  it  is  not  possible  to  conclude  a  sketch  of  the  Danish 
sculptor  without  sajnng  something  also  of  his  illustrious  rival. 
I  n  ever}'  age,  such  comparisons  have  alwaj^s  been  instituted  ; 
and,  in  comparing  Canova  and  Thorvaldsen,  we  have  the 
advantage  of  regarding  them  from  the  same  starting-point, 
as  both  artists  seem  to  have  been  influenced  by  the  same 
traditions. 

A  great  French  sculptor  of  our  time,  —  David  d' Angers, — 
comparing  the  talent  of  the  two  artists,  has  declared  his 
preference  for  the  Italian  master,  because  he  does  not  feel 
himself  so  quickly  touched  by  the  work  of  the  Danish  sculp' 
tor,  whose  eminent  beauties,  he  saj^s,  only  reveal  themselves 
after  long  stud3\ 

We  can  oppose  to  this  judgment  that  of  another  sculptor, 
of  equally  great  merit,  who  said  to  us  not  long  ago  :  — 

"  Before  Canova's  works,  I  always  feel  on  the  defensive.  I  fear  to 
allow  my  judgment  to  be  taken  captive  by  the  excessive  grace  of  the 
figures,  and  by  the  extreme  skilfulness  of  the  execution,  which  often 
conceals  real  faults.  The  pretty  little  taper-fingered  hand  of  the 
Princess  Borghese,  in  the  character  of  Venus,  maybe  charming;  but 
it  is  full  of  airs  and  affectation,  and  is  surely  neither  natural  nor 
antique.  With  Thorvaldsen,  on  the  contrary,  I  do  not  fear  any  such 
artifices  :  my  mind  is  tranquil.  I  prefer  him  to  Canova  for  his  greater 
breadth  of  style,  and  because  his  work  is  truer  and  more  correct." 

If,  in  some  of  the  works  of  the  Danish  sculptor,  we  per- 
ceive hands  a  little  coarse,  feet  rather  large,  this  very  fault  is 
a  proof  that  Thorvaldsen  was  very  far  from  tvj'mg  to  capti- 
vate the  taste  by  any  excessive  refinement. 

In  following  the  art  movement  which  was  the  result  of 
Winckelmann's  theories,  Canova  is,  in  realit^^,  neither  Greek 
nor  Eoman.  His  work,  though  worthy  in  other  respects  of 
the  admiration  which  it  excites,  is  full  of  the  pett}^  artifices 
of  his  Italian  predecessors,  and  has,  as  it  were,  only  put  on 
the  antique  garb. 

To  Canova  nature  was  pleasing  and  coquettish,  rather  than 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


grand  and  powerful ;  and  if  he  claim  kindred  with  the  an- 
tique, it  is  by  his  imitation  of  the  artists  of  the  third  period 
of  Greek  art,  who  are  to  Phidias  what  Guido  is  to  Raphael.  1 
He  was  attracted  by  preference  to  those  suave  qualities 
characteristic  of  the  epoch  when  grace  was  all-powerful,  and 
he  generally  succeeded  better  in  delicate  compositions  than 
in  figures  of  force.  The  beautiful  forms  of  his  groups  have 
something  undulating  about  them  which  charms  the  ej'e, 
and  leads  the  mind  to  tender  thoughts,  —  a  penetrating  influ- 
ence over  the  senses  which  brings  back  memories  of  Cythe- 
rean  Greece. 

There  is  nothing  of  this  sort  about  Thorvaldsen's  work ; 
and  therefore  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  contrasting  the 
two  artists  find  him  cold,  after  Canova.  The  Danish  sculptor 
was  more  austere,  more  philosophic  in  his  quest  of  the  beau- 
tiful. As  to  his  illustrious  contemporarj",  the  Florentine 
Bartolini,  he  also  belongs  to  the  school  of  artists  who  fol- 
lowed Winckelmann,  in  their  worship  of  the  Greek  antique. 
His  horror  of  imitation,  however,  rendered  him  more  inde- 
dependent  than  either  Canova  or  Thorvaldsen,  and  he  went 
first  of  all  to  nature  for  the  form  and  expression  of  his 
figures. 

An  eminent  critic,  whose  opinions  are  authorit}'  in  matters 
of  art,  has  devoted  to  Bartolini  a  most  interesting  paper,  in 
which  we  find  this  estimate  of  Canova  and  Thorvaldsen  :  — 

"Considered  in  itself,"  says  M.  Henri  Delaborde,^  "  tlie  manner 
of  the  autlior  of  the  '  Madeleine,'  '  The  Danseuses,'  and  the  '  Vemis ' 
of  the  Pitti  Palace,  is  more  pleasing  than  beautiful.  It  originates  in 
the  artist's  desire  to  conform  himself  to  antique  examples ;  but  these 
examples  Canova  has  weakened,  in  adjusting  them  to  suit  the  rather 
narrow  limits  of  modern  taste.  He  mixes  up  the  Greek  simplicity 
with  a  pretentious  grace,  an  equivocal  elegance,  —  in  a  word,  he  treats 
antiquity  as  he  does  nature  :  he  tries  to  embellish  both.  In  shelter- 
ing somewhat  his  personal  responsibility  under  a  semblance  of  classic 


1  Winckelmann. 


2  Etudes  sur  les  Beaux- Arts. 


236 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


art,  he  succeeds  iu  adroitly  counterfeiting  a  resemblance,  but  does 
not  express  with  dignitj^  a  truth. 

"Thorvaldsen  had  talent  and  aspirations  of  a  wholly  different 
order.  Although  he  sometimes  strives  for  elegance,  and  attains  it, 
as,  for  example,  in  his  '  Night,'  or  his  '  Mercury  Argiphontes,'  he  gen- 
erally aims  only  at  grandeur,  and  this  end  he  sometimes  attains.  His 
'Lion  of  Lucerne,'  his  bas-reliefs  of  the  'Triumph  of  Alexander,'  and 
many  of  his  allegorical  figures,  are  distiyiguisLed  for  imagination  and 
force." 

Thorvaldsen  exerted  much  influence  upon  almost  all  the 
sculptors  who  came  to  Rome  in  his  day.  To  association  with 
him,  Ranch  is  indebted  for  the  purity  of  his  st3'le :  the  Ger- 
man artist  established  subsequently  a  school  where  the  prin- 
ciples of  high  art  were  taught.  From  this  school  issued 
Rietschel,!  of  Dresden ;  Drake  2  and  Albert  Wolfr,^  of  Ber- 
lin ;  Blaeser,  of  Cologne,  —  who  all  tried  to  keep  art  in  the 
path  traced  out  by  their  masters.  Schadow  and  Schwan- 
thaler  were  friends  of  the  sculptor,  and  they  profited  by  his 
counsels.  At  Copenhagen,  Thorvaldsen' s  influence  has  been 
kept  alive  by  Bissen ;  at  Rome,  by  Tenerani,^  Louis  Bien- 
aime,  Pierre  Galli,^  and  Emile  WolflT.^ 

1  Rietschel  executed  a  large  number  of  public  works.   He  died  four  years  ago. 

2  Drake  is  a  countryman  of  Rauch :  like  him  he  was  born  in  the  principality  of 
Waldeck.  At  the  Universal  Exposition  of  Fine  Arts,  held  in  the  Champ  de  Mara 
(1867),  he  obtained  one  of  the  grand  prizes  for  his  equestrian  statue  of  King  William 
of  Prussia. 

3  Albert  Wolff  has  executed  several  public  monuments  in  Germany. 
^Tenerani,  now  (1867)  seventy-eight  years  old,  lives  in  Rome.   He  has  recently 

completed  the  monument  to  I'ope  l*ius  VIII  in  St.  Peter's. 

c  Galli  is  the  last  pupil  who  worked  with  Thorvaldsen.  It  was  he  who,  during  the 
absence  of  the  sculptor,  had  charge  of  the  atelier.  He  executed,  for  tlie  Torlonia 
Palace,  a  series  of  medallions,  sketched  only  by  the  master.  (See  Catalogue.)  Later 
he  composed  a  large  number  of  small  statues  and  bas-reliefs,  which  now  decorate  the 
loggia  of  the  Vatican,  and  merit  the  esteem  of  men  of  taste.  His  larger  statues  are 
less  happy. 

c Emile  Wolff  is  settled  in  Rome,  where  he  enjoys  a  deseiwed  reputation.  He  has 
followed  religiously  the  principles  of  his  master,  for  whom  he  cherishes  a  deep  and 
toucliing  veneration.  Among  his  numerous  works,  we  cite  the  statue  of  Prince  Al- 
bert, in  the  Isle  of  Wight;  '-The  Wounded  Amazon,"  at  Eaton  Hall,  the  residence 
of  the  Marquis  of  Westminster;  "Victory "on  the  Schlossbriicke,  in  Berlin;  ''The 
Four  Seasons,"  bas-reUefs,  of  which  one  —  "  Winter"  — has  been  repeated  more  than 
fifty  times  in  marble. 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


237 


Thorvaldsen  has  therefore  founded  a  school  in  Germany  as 
well  as  in  Italy ;  but,  Mme.  de  Stael  1  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding, the  artist  is  not  German.  He  belongs  to  the 
Scandinavian  race  :  its  genius  and  character  were  his.  This 
race  of  the  extreme  north,  somewhat  rude,  simple  and 
proud,  kind  and  hospitable,  has  in  all  ages  delighted  in 
noble  things.  The  poetry  of  its  earliest  bards  was  warlike 
and  chaste.  It  has  believed  always  in  the  immortality  of 
the  soul,  —  in  a  future  life  broader  and  grander  than  the 
earthl}^,  where  warriors  would  love  and  fight  after  the  fashion 
of  gods.  With  us,  the  long  days  of  summer  are  accepted  as 
a  right ;  but,  with  the  Scandinavians,  these  same  days,  so  nig- 
gardl}"  counted  out,  are  welcomed  as  a  benefaction  of  Nature  ; 
and  when  the  grass  is  green,  and  the  meadows  enamelled 
with  flowers,  —  when  the  sun  gilds  the  tops  of  the  lofty 
pines,  and  the  breeze  gently  ripples  the  surface  of  the  great 
lakes,  the  North  holds  high  festival,  and  the  entire  people 
celebrate  the  joj^ous  season  with  wild  and  tender  hymns,  in 
tones  full  of  freshness  and  force. 

It  was,  indeed,  the  pure  and  vigorous  sap  of  the  Scandina- 
vian race  which  flowed  in  the  veins  of  the  Danish  artist,  and 
which  he  infused  into  Greek  art,  b}^  a  graft  upon  its  stoutest 
and  strongest  branch.  But  he  was  not  a  parasite  plant :  on 
the  contrary,  he  gave  to  the  tree  his  own  strong  support.  If 
Thorvaldsen  idealized  his  figures  by  the  use  of  Greek  pro- 
cesses and  according  to  the  aesthetic  principles  developed  by 

iln  her  book  on  Germany,  Mme.  de  Stael  says:  "A  Dane,  Thorvaldsen,  edu- 
cated in  Germany,  now  rivals  Canova  in  Rome.  His  '  Jason '  resembles  him  whom 
Pindar  describes  as  the  handsomest  of  men.  He  holds  a  lance  in  his  hand,  and  the 
repose  of  conscious  strength  characterizes  the  hei'o."  It  is  so  far  from  being  true 
that  Thorvaldsen  was  educated  in  Germany,  that  it  was  not  until  1819,  when  he  was 
fifty  years  old,  that  he  first  set  foot  in  that  country.  Mme.  de  Staiil's  error  comes  un- 
doubtedly from  an  article  by  A.  W.  Schlegel  in  the  "  Jenaer  AUgemcine  Zeitung" 
(ISOS.Intell..  n  120,  p.  1006).  "  Thorvaldsen,  to  whom  in  one  way  we  can  lay  claim, 
for  though  born  a  Dane  he  speaks  our  language  like  a  native,  and  his  culture  is  wholly 
German."  Herr  Thiele  truly  remarks  that  the  artist,  who  did  not  visit  Germany 
until  he  was  already  old,  never  could  have  spoken  German  as  correctly  as  this  writer 
maintains. 


238 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Winckelmann,  he  sought  for  his  models  in  nature :  he  drew 
directly  from  the  fountain  head.  It  was  the  grand  tournure, 
the  distinction  of  style,  he  essayed  to  borrow.  His  works 
will  maintain  a  high  rank  in  the  esteem  of  men,  not  only 
because  they  are  the  most  complete  expression,  and  one  of 
the  highest,  of  the  tendencies  of  the  age,  but  also  because 
they  are  the  product  of  an  original  mind,  —  of  a  genius  true 
and  individual. 


CATALOGUE 

OF 

THORYALDSEN'S  WORKS. 


We  have  not  thought  it  necessary  in  this  Catalogue  to  follow  the  chronological 
order,  however  interesting  that  arrangement  might  prove.  In  a  list  of  works  as 
numerous  and  varied  as  those  of  Thorvaldsen,  the  classification  by  subjects  seemed  to 
us  to  offer  greater  advantages,  as  tending  to  avoid  confusion  and  facilitate  research. 
Besides,  the  first  part  of  the  volume,  the  biographical  part,  has  already  given  an 
almost  complete  chronological  classification ;  and,  to  leave  nothing  to  be  desired  on 
this  point,  care  has  been  talien  to  place  at  the  end  of  each  description  in  the  Cata- 
logue the  date  when  the  work  was  produced.  The  valuable  labors  of  Messrs.  Thiele 
and  MUller  have  been  of  great  assistance  in  the  performance  of  this  task ;  and,  thanks 
to  them,  scarcely  a  date  is  wanting. 

[In  translating  the  Catalogue,  the  French  measures,  metres  and  centimetres,  have  been  reduced 
to  English  feet,  inches,  and  hundredths.] 


FAQADE  OF  THE  THORVALDSEN  MUSEUM,  COPENHAGEN. 


SACRED  SUBJECTS. 


I. 

STATUES    AND  GROUPS. 
Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles. 

Colossal  SBaiues ;  marble.  Church  of  Our  Lady  (Frue  KirkeJ,  at  Copenhagen, 
Height :  The  Christ,  11  ft.  5.40  in. ;  St.  Peter,  7  ft.  11.27  in. ;  St  Matthew,  7  ft.  11.66  in.; 
St.  John,  8  ft.  1.24  in. ;  St.  James  the  Less,  7  ft.  10.09  in. ;  St.  Philip,  7  ft.  8.91  in. ; 
8t.  Judas  Thaddeus,  7  ft.  9.69  in. ;  St,  Paul,  7  ft.  11.27  in. ;  St.  Sunon  Zelotes,  8  ft. 
1.24  in. ;  St.  Bartholomew,  8  ft.  0.85  in. ;  St.  James  the  Greater,  7  ft.  11.66  in. ;  St. 
Thomas,  8  ft.  0.06  in.;  St.  Andrew,  7  ft.  10.48  in. 

The  Christ.  (See  wood-cut,  p.  219.)— The  Saviour  is  standing, 
the  arms  outstr^itched,  the  upper  part  of  the  body  slightly  inclined 
forward.  His  Dair,  parted  in  the  middle,  falls  in  ringlets  over  his 
shoulders.  He  is  draped  in  a  wide  mantle,  leaving  the  right  side  of 
the  breast  uncovered.    Modelled  at  Rome  in  1821. 

St.  Peter.  —  The  saint  turns  his  head  to  the  right,  and  holds  in  his 
right  hand  the  keys  of  Paradise  ;  with  his  left  hand  he  gathers  the 
folds  of  his  mantle  around  his  breast.  He  wears  a  sleeved  tunic 
fastened  at  the  throat  by  a  clasp.    Modelled  at  Rome  in  1821. 

St.  Matthew.  —  Holds  a  stylus  in  the  right  hand,  and  with  the  left 
supports  a  tablet  which  rests  upon  his  knee.  His  right  foot  is  raised 
and  placed  upon  a  rock.  On  the  right  of  the  saint,  an  angel  desig- 
nates him  as  an  evangelist,  whilst  a  purse  lying  on  the  ground  recalls 


242  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


his  previous  occupation  as  a  publican.  His  dress  consists  of  the 
sleeved  tunic  and  the  mantle.    Eome,  1821. 

St.  John.  —  He  raises  his  eyes  to  heaven  as  though  waiting  for  a 
revelation,  and  prepares  to  write  upon  a  tablet.  His  mantle  is  thrown 
over  his  shoulders  and  is  kept  in  place  by  a  clasp  at  the  throat ;  it  is 
open  in  front  and  shows  the  whole  of  the  tunic.  At  the  feet  of  the 
saint  is  the  eagle.    Kome,  1824. 

St.  James  the  Less.  —  The  features  of  his  face  suggest  his  relation- 
ship to  Christ.  He  leans  in  meditation  upon  a  long  traveller's  staff. 
His  dress  is  the  mantle  and  sleeved  tunic.    Rome,  1823. 

St.  Philip.  —  He  carries  his  head  slightly  inclined  to  the  right,  and 
seems  overcome  with  grief.  His  right  hand  is  protruded  from  the 
folds  of  his  mantle  and  holds  a  cross.    Rome,  1823. 

St.  Judas  Thaddeus.  —  St.  Jude  is  in  a  standing  posture,  and  is 
clothed  in  a  sleeved  tunic.  His  hands  are  clasped  and  raised  to  the 
height  of  his  face.  A  long  lance  terminating  in  an  axe,  the  instru- 
ment of  his  martyrdom,  leans  against  his  left  arm.    Rome,  1842. 

St.  Paul.  —  The  saint  is  represented  with  a  long  beard  and  in  the 
act  of  preaching,  his  right  arm  raised  and  the  left  resting  upon  his 
sword.  He  wears  the  sleeved  tunic ;  and  his  mantle  hanging  from 
his  shoulders  is  thence  brought  under  his  right  arm  and  the  end 
thrown  over  the  left  forearm.    Rome,  1821. 

St.  Simon  Zelotes.  —  St.  Simon  leans  with  a  grave  and  pensive 
countenance  upon  a  saw,  the  instrument  of  his  martyrdom..  He 
gathers  together,  and  holds  up  with  both  hands  joined,  the  folds 
of  his  mantle,  which  is  open  in  front,  showing  the  tunic.  Rome, 
1823. 

St.  Bartholomeio.  —  The  apostle  wears  an  ample  sleeved  tunic. 
His  mantle  is  thrown  over  the  right  shoulder  and  the  end  held  in  his 
left  hand.  He  has  a  thick  beard,  and  holds  in  his  right  hand  the 
knife  by  which  he  suffered  martyrdom.    Rome,  1823. 

St.  James  the  Greater.  —  The  saint  is  in  the  act  of  walking,  and 
holds  in  his  right  hand  a  long  traveller's  staff.  The  folds  of  his 
mantle  are  held  up  by  the  left  arm  so  as  not  to  impede  his  steps. 
His  inner  garment  is  a  sleeved  tunic,  and  he  has  also  a  broad-brimmed 
hat.    Rome,  1821. 

>S'^  r/io?7ia8.  —  The  artist  has  endeavored  to  characterize  the  face 
of  St.  Thomas  by  an  expression  of  doubt.  The  apostle  is  in  medi- 
tation :  he  presses  the  forefinger  of  his  left  hand  against  his  cheek, 
and  in  his  right  holds  the  square,  emblem  of  the  exact  sciences*  He 
is  amply  draped  in  his  mantle,  which  envelopes  him  almost  entirely^ 


CATALOGUE. 


243 


His  right  arm,  however,  is  covered  only  by  the  sleeve  of  the  tunic. 
Kome,  1821. 

St.  Andrew.  —  The  saint  holds  a  scroll  in  the  left  hand,  and  with 
the  right  the  end  of  the  cross.  He  wears  the  tunic,  and  a  mantle 
hangs  from  his  left  shoulder.    Rome,  1841  and  1842. 

The  Apostles  St.  Andrew  and  St.  Thomas,  modelled  for  the  second  time  by  Thor- 
valdsen  in  1841-42,  and  executed  in  marble  for  the  Frue  Kirke,  had  been  previously 
represented  by  the  artist,  unsatisfactorily  to  himself,  in  attitudes  differing  from  those 
above  described.  St.  Andrew  (height,  7  ft.  11.66  in.),  modelled  at  Kome  in  1823,  is 
wrapped  in  his  mantle,  and  leans  with  his  left  aiTU  upon  the  cross  :  he  wears  no  tunic, 
the  right  arm  and  a  part  of  the  breast  are  nude.  St.  Thaddeus  (height  the  same), 
modelled  at  Rome,  1827,  turns  his  head  to  the  right  and  clasps  his  hands  on  a  level 
with  his  breast. 

The  Thorvaldsen  Museum  has  the  plaster  models  of  the  Christ  and  the  Twelve 
Apostles.  In  grouping  them  together  in  the  Hall  of  the  Christ,  the  directors  rightly 
selected  the  plasters  of  St.  Andrew  and  St.  Thaddeus,  which  date  from  the  yeai's 
1823  and  1827,  as  belonging  to  the  same  period  with  the  others,  and  placed  the  two 
figures  modelled  in  1841  and  1842  in  another  gallery. 

The  Museum  also  contains  many  interesting  manikins  ( maquettes J,  made  as  studies 
for  these  large  figures.  Of  the  Christ  there  are  two  small  sketches,  one  (height, 
25.19  in.),  wliich  is  draped  and  wanting  the  forearm,  has  the  head  very  much  thrown 
back;  the  other  (height,  21.25  in.)  is  draped,  and  the  head  is  not  carried  so  far  back. 
There  is,  besides,  a  statuette  in  plaster  (4  ft.  7.90  in,),  finished  by  Tenerani;  the  head 
is  erect,  the  right  foot  thrown  back  and  raised  from  the  ground,  and  the  arrangement 
of  the  drapery  different  from  that  finally  adopted.  The  execution  is  dehcate,  but 
lacking  the  master's  firm  touch.  There  are  in  the  same  hall  sketches  of  St.  Matthew 
(height,  1  ft.  6.50  in.) ;  St.  James  the  Less  (1  ft.  8.07  in.) ;  St.  Thomas  (1  ft.  8.47  in  ) ; 
St  Bartholomew  (1  ft.  8.07  in.),  with  the  hand  holding  the  knife  brought  nearer  to  his 
breast;  St.  Simon  (same  height),  with  the  hands  crossed  on  the  breast,  and  without 
the  instrimient  of  his  martyrdom  ;  St.  I'aul  (1  ft.  7.23  in.) ;  St.  John  (1  ft.  7.68  in.),  the 
face  turned  to  one  side,  having  at  his  feet  a  cup  and  a  serpent,  and  behind  him  the 
eagle;  St.  Andrew  (2  ft.  2.37  in.);  St.  Thaddeus  (two  sketches,  2  ft.  3.95  in.  and  2  ft. 
7  10  in.).   These  three  last  sketches  were  for  the  models  made  in  1841-42. 

There  is  a  bronze  of  the  statue  of  Christ  in  the  Church  of  the  Peace  at  Potsdam, 
(See  p.  89  et  seq.,  220  et  seq.,  and  p.  231.) 

The  Angel  of  Baptism.    (See  wood-cut,  p.  169.) 

statue;  marble.    Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.   Height,  4  ft.  8.29  in. 

The  angel,  crowned  with  flowers,  kneels  upon  one  knee  and  holds 
a  large  shallow  shell,  intended  to  contain  the  baptismal  water. 

Rome,  1827.   The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum.   (See  p.  221.) 

TiiE  Angel  op  Baptism. 

statue ;  marble.    Executed  for  Lord  Lucan.  Height,  5  ft.  10.86  in. 

This  figure  is  the  same  as  the  preceding,  but  the  attitude  is  dif- 
ferent :  the  angel  is  standing. 


^44  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Rome,  1823-24.  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Musemn,  where  there  is 
also  a  sketch;  height,  19.68  in. 

The  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Baptist. 

Group;  terra  cotta.  Pediment  of  the  Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.  Height  of  the 
^St.  John,  7  ft.  10.48  in. ;  breadth  of  pediment,  41  ft.  8.78  in, 

St.  John  stands  upon  a  rock  in  tlie  centre  and  above  the  rest  of 
the  composition.  He  is  in  the  act  of  preaching ;  his  right  hand  is 
raised,  and  the  left  liolds  a  staff  surmounted  by  a  cross.  The  shell 
with  which  he  dips  water  for  baptism  hangs  by  his  side.  He  wears 
a  tunic  of  camel's  hair,  unfastened  on  the  left  side,  and  has  a  broad 
mantle  thrown  over  his  shoulders. 

The  figures  on  his  right  (the  spectator's  left)  are  :  — 

A  Young  Man  absorbed  in  Meditation.  He  stands  with  his  left 
foot  upon  the  rock,  his  left  elbow  resting  upon  his  left  knee  and  his 
head  supported  by  his  left  hand.  His  tunic  is  unfastened  at  the  right 
shoulder,  and  his  cloak  is  wrapped  around  his  right  arm. 

An  Old  3Ian  and  his  Son.  The  father,  with  head  uplifted,  looks 
toward  the  preacher  and  listens  attentively.  His  arms  hang  natu- 
rally, and  his  hands  meeting  in  front  hold  together  the  folds  of  his 
cloak.    The  son,  who  stands  behind  him,  leans  upon  his  shoulder. 

A  Mother  and  her  Young  Child.  The  child  puts  his  little  arms 
upon  the  shoulder  of  his  mother,  who  kneels  upon  her  right  knee. 

A  Doctor.  He  is  seated  upon  a  rock,  his  body  bent  and  his  hands 
crossed  upon  his  breast ;  he  is  wrapped  in  a  large  cloak,  and  wears 
the  Israelitish  head-dress. 

A  Young  Man  reclining.  His  elbow  resting  upon  a  rock,  he  turns 
round  in  an  attentive  attitude. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  pediment  are  :  — 

A  Youth.  His  posture  is  upright ;  he  wears  a  tunic,  but  is  taking 
off  his  cloak,  in  preparation  for  baptism.  His  attitude  is  animated, 
and  indicates  an  impulsive  temperament. 

A  Pharisee.  His  head  is  covered  by  a  cap,  and  he  wears  a  rich 
cloak.  His  bearing  is  haughty,  and  he  looks  with  disdainful  pride 
toward  the  Baptist. 

A  Hunter.  Laden  with  game  and  followed  by  his  dog,  he  stops  to 
listen  as  he  passes  by. 

Tii-o  Children.  Their  whole  attention  is  given  to  the  hunter's 
dog.  But  the  boy  checks  his  sister  and  makes  signs  to  her  to  keep 
silent. 

A  Mother  and  her  Child.    The  woman  is  seated  and  listening. 


CATALOGUE. 


245 


The  child,  undraped,  leans  against  his  mother's  knee,  — his  attitude 
resembling  that  of  the  infant  Jesus  in  the  picture  by  Raphael,  known 
as  La  Belle  Jardiniere.  The  woman's  head  is  a  reproduction  of  the 
portrait  of  Vittoria  Cardoni.    (See  p.  89.) 

A  Shepherd.  This  recumbent  figure  terminates  the  pediment.  He 
plays  only  an  incidental  part  in  the  scene,  to  which  he  is  morally  a 
stranger. 

This  pediment  was  modelled  at  Rome  in  1821-22.  (See  pp  89.  and  222.)  The  plas- 
ter models  are  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Two  other  figures.  A  Jew  seated  and  a 
Roman  Soldier,  which  were  to  form  part  of  the  composition,  were  suppressed.  (See, 
farther  on,  Divers  Subjects.) 

The  Museum  has  also  the  first  miniature  model  (maquette)  of  The  Preaching  of 
St.  John.  Some  of  the  figures  difier  from  those  in  the  finished  work. 

II. 

BAS-EELIEFS. 

§  1.  —  Subjects  from  the  Old  Testament. 
Ad  AIM  AND  Eve. 
Plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  3  ft.  3.37  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  11.05  in. 
Adam  and  Eve  are  seated  side  by  side.    Abel,  pursued  by  Cain  who 
tries  to  snatch  an  apple  from  him,  seeks  protection  in  his  father's  lap. 
Eve  appears  grieved  at  this  first  quarrel  between  her  children.  On 
the  left  the  serpent  is  seen  to  creep  upon  an  altar. 

Rome,  1838.   The  Museum  has  also  a  plaster  sketch,  14.17  by  15  35  in. 

Eliezer  and  Rebecca.    (See  wood-cut,  p.  218.) 

Plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  3  ft.  1.79  in.;  length,  6  ft.  1.62  in. 

Abraham's  servant  is  drinking  from  the  pitcher  which  Rebecca  ofiers 
to  him.  A  boy  behind  him  carries  a  box  containing  the  jewels  in- 
tended for  Isaac's  betrothed.  On  the  right  are  two  camels  led  by  a 
camel-driver ;  on  the  left,  two  women,  who  have  come  to  draw  water 
at  the  spring. 

Has  the  inscription  :  Nysoe,  26  January,  1841. 

The  Judgment  of  Solomon. 

Bas-relief;  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  3.74  in.;  length,  6  ft. 
7.52  in. 

Solomon  sits  on  his  royal  judgment-seat,  surrounded  by  his  cour- 
tiers.   On  the  left  is  the  mother  of  the  dead  child,  and  near  her  the 


246 


WOliKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


body  of  her  son ;  on  the  right,  the  mother  of  the  living  child  in  de- 
spair appeals  to  the  king.  Solomon  stretches  out  his  arm  to  check 
the  soldier  who  is  on  the  point  of  dividing  the  young  victim. 

Sketch  of  a  bas-relief  projected,  but  not  executed,  which  was  to  have  ornamented 
the  pediment  of  the  Town  Hall  of  Copenhagen 

Heliodorus  drr^en  from  the  Temple. 

Plaster.    Palace  of  Charlottenborg.   Height,  3  ft.  8.88  in. ;  length,  5  ft.  8.89  in. 

Heliodorus,  surrounded  by  his  guards,  is  struck  down  whilst  car 
rying  off  the  treasures  of  the  temple  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of 
the  king.  A  horseman  in  rich  armor  appears,  whose  horse  strikes 
with  his  forefeet  the  envoy  of  Seleucus,  whilst  two  young  men  of 
great  strength  and  beauty,  one  on  each  side,  chastise  him  with  rods. 
On  the  left  is  the  High  Priest  kneeling,  and  surrounded  by  other 
priests.  On  the  right,  behind  the  affrighted  guards,  a  woman  and 
her  child  cry  out  in  wonder  at  the  power  of  the  Most  High.  (2  Mac- 
cabees, iii.) 

Copenhagen,  1791.  Obtained  the  small  gold  medal  (the  prize  for  sculpture)  at  the 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts.    (See  p.  9  et  seq.) 

§  2.  —  Subjects  from  the  New  Testament, 

The  Institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Bas-relief;  mai-ble.  Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.  Height,  3  ft.  2.58  in. ;  length,  7  ft. 
6.58  in. 

Christ  stands  before  the  table  at  the  left  extremity  of  the  compo- 
sition :  he  raises  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  blesses  the  cup.  The  Apos- 
tles kneel  before  their  Master,  except  one  who  rises  in  amazement. 
St.  John  and  St.  Peter  are  nearest  to  Christ.  St.  Thomas,  in  an 
attitude  expressing  doubt,  has  not  yet  clasped  his  hands.  Judas  is 
going  away. 

The  plaster  model,  made  at  Copenhagen  in  1820,  is  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
(Seep.  221.) 

Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.  Height,  4ft.  1.99  in.;  length, 43 ft. 
9.58  in. 

Christ  is  riding  upon  an  ass  led  by  St.  John.  He  raises  his  right 
hand.  Behind  him  walks  St.  Peter,  who  stretches  his  arm  toward 
him.  Then  follow  the  other  disciples,  and  after  them  the  lame  and 
the  blind  man  cured  by  the  Saviour.  At  the  other  end  of  the  frieze, 
the  people,  coming  toward  Christ,  scatter  flowers  and  spread  gar- 


CATALOGUE. 


247 


ments  in  the  way,  or  wave  branches.  Women  prostrate  themselves 
in  adoration.  Near  the  gate  of  Jerusalem  a  Pharisee  is  conversing 
with  a  doctor.  Two  boys  pass  near  them  sliouting  "  Hosanna,"  and 
a  man  points  out  to  his  wife  the  new  King  of  the  Jews. 

Nys(5e,  1839-40.  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum  (height,  2  ft. 
1.98  in. ;  length,  24  ft.  1.76  in.). 

Christ  bearing  the  Cross. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.  (Frieze  above  the  altar,  in  the 
choir.)    Height,  6  ft.  2.80  in. ;  length,  65  ft.  7.40  in. 

Christ  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  frieze,  bearing  tlie  cross  which 
Simon  the  Cyrenean  endeavors  to  hold  up.  The  Saviour  turns  round 
toward  the  kneeling  woman.  He  is  preceded  by  two  executioners  : 
one  drags  the  rope  fastened  to  the  cross ;  the  other,  with  his  assist- 
ant, carries  the  ladder,  the  hammer,  and  the  nails.  A  man  is  leading 
the  two  thieves  with  their  hands  tied  behind  them :  the  younger  looks 
toward  the  Saviour,  and  seems  to  repent ;  while  the  other,  hardened 
in  vice,  fixes  his  eyes  on  the  ground.  At  the  head  of  the  procession 
a  mounted  centurion,  followed  by  horsemen  and  Roman  foot-soldiers, 
gives  the  order  to  move  faster.  One  of  the  horsemen  carries  the 
order  to  the  executioner.  A  soldier  armed  with  a  lance  keeps  back 
the  crowd,  and  a  number  of  Jews  are  beginning  to  ascend  the  hill  of 
Calvary. 

At  the  opposite  end  of  the  frieze,  behind  the  group  of  kneeling 
women,  Joseph  of  Arimathea  is  sadly  watching  the  fainting  mother 
of  the  Saviour  who  is  upheld  by  St.  John  and  Mary  Magdalen. 
Three  Pharisees  on  horseback  come  next,  and  one  of  them  sternly 
commands  the  Virgin  to  be  thrust  aside  and  the  way  to  be  cleared. 
Roman  foot-soldiers  bring  up  the  rear  of  the  procession.  Some  of 
the  Jews  are  collected  around  the  house  of  Pilate,  who  is  washing 
his  hands,  unwilling  to  be  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  just. 

Nysiie,  1839.  The  plaster  sketch  is  in  the  Museum  (height,  2  ft  1.98  in.;  length, 
25  ft.  2.36  in  ).  It  differs  in  some  points  from  the  finished  work  above  described. 
Pilate  wears  an  Israclitish  dress,  afterward  changed  for  a  Roman  costume.  Two 
disciples  walking  in  front  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea  have  been  replaced  by  a  woman 
leading  her  child.   (See  p.  154  et  seq.) 

Christ's  Charge  to  St.  Peter. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Chapel  of  the  Pitti  Palace,  Florence.  Height,  2  ft.  1.19  in.; 
length,  5  ft.  10.86  in. 

Christ  points  out  the  sheep  to  St.  Peter,  and  commands  him  to  feed 
Ills  flock    The  Apostle,  holding  the  keys,  kneels  before  his  Master. 


248  WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


St.  John  stands  behind  St.  Peter.  The  other  Apostles  stand  on 
either  side. 

Rome,  1818.  The  Museum  has  the  plaster  model,  and  also  a  plaster  cast  taken 
from  the  marble. 

Saint  Peter  healing  the  Paralytic. 

Bas-relief ;  plaster.  Palace  of  Charlottenhorg.  Height,  3  ft.  10.85  in.;  length, 
5  ft.  9.29  in. 

St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  stop  at  the  entrance  of  the  temple.  St. 
Peter  takes  the  paralytic  man  by  the  right  hand,  and  invoking  God 
raises  up  the  mendicant  and  cures  him.  The  people  coming  into  the 
temple  are  filled  with  astonishment.    (Acts  iii.) 

Copenhagen,  1793.  Obtained  the  grand  prize  at  the  Copenhagen  Academy.  (See 
p.  12.) 

The  Holy  Women  at  the  Sepulchre. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Purchased  hy  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria  for  a  church  in 
Munich.   Height,  3  ft.  7.70  in. ;  length,  8  ft.  6.36  in. 

Mary,  the  mother  of  James,  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Salome  bring 
perfumes  to  the  tomb  of  Jesus.  They  find  the  stone  taken  away. 
An  angel  stands  before  the  open  sepulchre  and  points  to  heaven. 

Rome,  in  1817.  This  composition  and  the  next  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  Thor- 
valdsen  Museum.  There  are  in  the  galleries  two  vacant  spaces  waiting  for  them. 
Shall  they  remain  unoccupied  ?  King  Louis  I  honored  the  artist  with  his  friendship, 
and  professed  the  greatest  esteem  for  his  talent.  Will  his  grandson  one  day  show  a 
taste  for  sculpture,  and  allow  casts  to  be  taken  from  the  two  bas-reliefs,  so  that  there 
may  be  no  gaps  to  be  regretted  in  the  collection  of  the  master's  works  ? 

The  Annunciation. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Purchased  hy  Prince  Louis  of  Bavaria  for  a  church  in 
Munich.   Height,  3  ft.  7.70  in. ;  length,  6  ft.  6.74  in. 

The  Virgin  is  seated  with  hands  clasped.  The  Angel  Gabriel  flies 
toward  her,  and  presents  to  her  a  lily. 

Rome,  1819.   See  the  preceding. 

Baptismal  Fonts. 

Bas-reliefs;  marble.  Church  of  Brahe-Trolleborg  in  Fionia.  Height,  2  ft.  3.95 
in. ;  breadth,  1  ft.  9.65  in. 

These  baptismal  fonts  are  square  in  shape,  and  four  bas  reliefs  or- 
nament the  four  sides  :  on  the  front  face,  St.  John  baptizing  Christ ; 
on  the  right,  Christ  seated  blessing  little  children ;  on  the  left,  the 
Virgin  seated  with  the  infant  Christ  in  her  lap,  and  the  little  St. 
John  standing  beside  her.  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity  are  represented 
by  three  angels  soaring  together. 


CATALOGUE. 


249 


Modelled  at  Rome,  in  1807,  to  the  order  of  the  Countess  von  Schiramelmann,  cut  in 
marble  in  1808,  and  placed  in  the  church  in  1815.  The  plaster  models  are  in  the  Mu- 
seum, where  there  is  also  a  repetition,  with  variations,  of  the  left-hand  bas-relief. 
Thorvaldsen  executed  in  1827  a  duplicate  in  marble,  intending  to  present  it  to  the 
Church  of  Myklabye,  in  Iceland,  of  which  his  ancestor,  Thorvald  Gotskalksen,  had 
heen  pastor.  The  composition  was  now  surmounted  by  a  wreath  of  flowers,  and 
above  the  angels  was  engraved  this  inscription  :  — 

OPUS  HOC  ROMiE  FECIT 

ET  ISLANDI^ 
TERR^  SIBI  GENTILICI^ 
PIETATIS   CAUSA  DONAVIT 
ALBERTUS  THORVALDSEN 
A.  M.D.CCC.XXVII. 

It  Is  supposed  that  this  copy,  before  it  reached  Iceland,  was  sold  by  the  artist  to  a 
Norwegian  merchant,  who  had  the  inscription  efi"aced.  Thorvaldsen,  however,  imme- 
diately had  another  copy  made  at  Carrara. 

The  Baptism  op  Christ. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Frue  Kirke.  Copenhagen.  Height,  3  ft.  1.79  in.;  length,  7  ft. 
4.97  in. 

Christ  Standing  on  the  bank  of  the  Jordan  with  hands  clasped  and 
head  bowed  receives  the  water  of  baptism  which  St.  John  pours  upon 
him.  Two  angels  are  placed  behind  St.  John,  two  others  are  flying 
in  the  air.  On  the  margin  of  the  river  an  Israelitish  family  are  pre- 
paring for  baptism. 

Copenhagen,  1820.   Plaster  model  in  the  Museum, 

Christ  blessing  Childeen. 

Bas-relief ;  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  5.71  in. ;  length,  2  ft. 
5.92  in. 

Christ,  standing,  calls  to  him  the  children  whom  one  of  his  disci- 
ples wishes  to  send  away.  St.  John  and  another  disciple  are  on  the 
left. 

Modelled  at  Nysoe,  1840,  for  the  asylum  called  by  the  name  of  Frederick  VI,  at 
Copenhagen. 

Jesus  Teaching  in  the  Temple. 

Bas-relief  ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  9.46  in. ;  width,  2  ft, 
5.13  in. 

Jesus,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  stands  in  front  of  two  doctors, 
one  of  whom,  seated,  has  a  roll  of  papyrus  on  his  knees ;  the  other 
standing,  his  hand  upon  his  mouth,  listens  and  reflects. 

Nysoe,  1841. 


250 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Christ  and  the  Woman  of  Samaria. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaltlsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  6.31  in. ;  width,  2  ft. 
4.34  in. 

Christ  leans  upon  the  curb  of  the  well.  The  Samaritan  woman, 
coming  to  draw  water,  rests  her  hand  upon  her  pitcher  and  pauses 
in  an  attentive  attitude. 

Nysoe,  1841. 

The  Annunciation. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  2.77  in.;  length,  4  ft. 
1.99  in. 

The  Virgin  is  seated ;  she  lays  down  the  work  on  which  she  was 
engaged  upon  a  basket  beside  her.  Her  eyes  are  cast  down,  and  she 
raises  her  right  hand  to  her  face.  The  angel  Gabriel  advances  toward 
her  with  a  lily  in  his  hand,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  descends  upon  her 
in  the  form  of  a  dove. 

Rome,  1842. 

Adoration  of  the  Shepherds. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  1.98 in.;  length,  4  ft. 
1.21  in. 

The  Virgin  mother  is  kneeling  before  the  new-born  Child.  On  the 
right  are  four  shepherds  in  the  act  of  adoration ;  one  of  them  plays 
upon  the  flute,  another  upon  the  bag-pipe.  St.  Joseph  is  on  the  left 
near  the  manger,  where  an  ox  and  an  ass  are  feeding.  Three  little 
angels  hover  above  the  head  of  the  infant  Saviour. 

Rome,  1842. 

The  Flight  into  Egypt. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3.16  in. ;  length,  4  ft. 
1.21  in. 

St.  Joseph  walks  before  with  a  staff  in  his  hand,  followed  by  the 
Virgin  carrying  the  infant  Jesus.  An  angel  hovers  by  Mary's  side, 
pointing  out  the  way  and  protecting  the  fugitives  from  the  fury  of 
Herod's  soldiers.  On  the  left,  one  of  these  soldiers  snatches  a  child 
from  its  mother  and  is  about  to  kill  it. 

Rome,  1842. 

Jesus  in  the  Temple. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  2.77  in.;  length,  4  ft. 
1.21  in. 

Jesus  is  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors ;  one  of  them,  seated, 
holds  open  a  scroll  upon  which  the  Child  places  his  finger.    He  is 


CATALOGUE. 


251 


interpreting  the  Scriptures.  On  the  left,  the  Virgin,  coming  in  with 
St.  Joseph,  recognizes  her  Son  and  crosses  her  hands  in  token  of 
adoration. 

Rome,  1842. 

The  Baptism  of  Christ 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  2.77  in.;  length,  4  ft. 
1.99  in. 

Christ  is  bending  before  St.  John  Baptist,  who  pours  the  water 
upon  his  head ;  his  feet  are  in  the  stream.  The  Jordan  is  personified 
by  a  recumbent  old  man  leaning  upon  an  urn.  Three  little  angels 
hover  above  the  Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  descends  in  the  form 
of  a  dove.  Behind  the  Baptist,  a  man,  a  young  girl,  and  a  child  are 
undressing  to  be  baptized  also. 

Rome,  1842. 

Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  1.59  in.;  length,  3  ft. 
0.61  in. ' 

Christ  is  mounted  upon  an  ass,  which  is  led  by  St.  John.  Coming 
to  meet  him,  are  a  man  who  is  spreading  a  carpet,  a  woman  scat- 
tering flowers,  and  a  child  carrying  a  palm  branch. 

Sketch  modelled  at  Rome  in  1842. 

Christ  at  Emmaus. 

Bas-relief;  silver  re;?0MSs^ work.  Altar-piece,  Church  delta  Santa  Annunziata, 
Florence.   Height,  2  ft.  1.19  in. ;  length,  11  ft.  6.58  in. 

Christ  seated  at  the  table  takes  the  bread  and  blesses  it.  By  this 
action  the  disciples,  placed  on  either  hand,  recognize  him  as  the  Sa- 
viour. A  curtain  is  suspended  behind  him,  above  which  are  seen  the 
tops  of  trees. 

Rome,  1818.   Plaster  model  in  the  Museum. 

Christ  at  Emmaus. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  4  ft.  0.03  in.;  length.  5  ft. 
0.62  in. 

The  scene  is  laid  in  a  room  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  double  window. 
Christ  is  on  the  right.  The  disciples  have  risen  from  the  table  and 
are  on  the  left.  One  is  kneeling  with  clasped  hands  ;  the  other  stands 
with  his  hands  crossed  over  his  breast. 


252  WORKS  OF  THORVALBSEN. 


Modelled  at  Nysoe  in  1840,  and  designed  as  an  altar-piece  for  a  church  near  Stampe- 
borg.  It  was  afterwards  cut  in  marble  at  Rome,  by  the  sculptor  Holbech. 

The  Resurrection. 

Bas-relief;  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1ft.  4.14:  in.;  length,  6  ft. 
2.80  in. 

Christ  with  outstretched  arms  issues  from  the  tomb,  stepping  upon 
the  stone  which  has  been  rolled  away  from  the  entrance.  Two  angels 
stand  in  adoration  on  either  side  of  the  Saviour.  One  of  the  guards 
flies  in  terror,  another  grasps  his  sword ;  the  rest  are  asleep.  In  the 
distance,  the  holy  women  are  seen  coming. 

Rome,  1835.  This  bas-relief,  intended  for  the  pediment  of  the  chapel  of  the  palace 
of  Christiansborg,  was  never  more  than  sketched. 

The  Four  Evangelists. 

Four  medallions ;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Diameter  of  each,  1  ft.  8.86  in. 
The  evangelists  are  borne  aloft :  St.  Matthew,  by  an  angel ;  St. 
John,  by  an  eagle ;  St.  Luke,  by  an  ox ;  St.  Mark,  by  a  lion. 

Rome,  1833.   The  plaster  models  are  also  in  the  Museum, 

Saint  Lui^e. 

Medallion;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter,  1  ft.  8.86  in. 

The  saint,  standing  with  a  stylus  in  his  hand,  is  writing  the  gospel 
upon  a  tablet  which  rests  upon  his  knee.  The  winged  ox  lies  beside 
him,  and  the  evangelist  places  one  foot  upon  the  animal. 

Sketch  modelled  at  Rome,  about  1833. 

Saint  Luke. 

MedaUion ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter,  1  ft.  8  86  in. 
The  saint,  in  confonnity  with  the  tradition,  is  painting  the  portrait 
of  the  Virgin.    Behind  him  is  the  winged  ox. 
Sketch  modelled  at  Rome,  probably  in  1833. 

§  3.  — Angelic  and  Symbolic  Figures. 

Three  Angels  iceeping  Christmas. 

Medallion ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter,  3  ft.  4.55  in. 

The  angels  are  soaring  among  the  stars  on  Christmas  night.  One 
is  playing  upon  the  harp,  the  others  sing  the  birth  of  the  Saviour. 
Little  cherubs  playing  upon  different  instruments  hover  around  the 
angels. 


CATALOGUE. 


253 


Modelled  at  Nysoe  in  December,  1812,  as  a  Christmas  present  to  the  family  of  the 
Baron  von  Stampe. 

Angels  of  the  Last  Judgment. 

Three  bas-reliefs;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  3fuseum.  Form,  oval.  No.  1 :  height, 
3  ft.  3.37  in.;  width,  2  ft.  2.37  in.  Nos.  2  and  3:  height,  2  ft.  8.28  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
6.89  in. 

The  first  angel  stands  facing  the  spectator ;  a  star  glitters  above  his 
head ;  he  holds  his  trumpet  in  his  right  hand.  The  second  places  his 
left  hand  on  his  breast,  and  holds  his  trumpet  in  his  right.  The  third 
holds  in  his  left  hand  the  scroll  upon  which  are  written  the  actions 
of  men ;  the  sword  of  chastisement  rests  upon  his  right  shoulder. 

These  three  bas-reliefs,  intended  for  a  cemetery,  were  modelled  at  Rome  in  1842. 

The  Guardian  Angel. 

Bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Frue  Kirlce,  Copenhagen.  Height,  2  ft.  3.55  in. ;  width,  1  ft. 
7.63  in. 

The  angel,  in  token  of  protection,  places  his  right  hand  on  the 
shoulder,  and  the  left  on  the  head,  of  a  child  praying. 

Copenhagen,  1838.   The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum. 

Three  Angels. 

Two  bas-reliefs ;  bronze.  Altar-pieces,  Cathedral  of  Novara.  Height,  1  ft.  2.56 
in.;  length,  2  ft.  1.19  in. 

These  two  compositions,  forming  a  pair,  represent  each  three  little 
angels  flying,  bearing  garlands  and  scattering  flowers. 

Rome,  1833.   Models  in  the  Museum. 

Three  Angels. 

Two  bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  2.96  in.;  length, 
1  ft.  5. .32  in. 

One  of  these  bas-reliefs  represents  three  little  angels  standing, 
leaning  upon  each  other,  singing  and  holding  a  long  strip  of  parch- 
ment unrolled.  In  the  other,  the  angel  who  is  in  the  middle  is  seated 
upon  an  altar,  and  is  playing  upon  the  cithern ;  the  two  others  are 
standing,  one  with  a  harp,  the  other  with  a  flute. 

Rome,  1833.  Intended  for  the  Cathedral  of  Novara,  but  replaced  by  the  foregoing 
compositions.   The  plaster  models  are  also  in  the  Museum. 

Figures  of  Angels. 

Bas-relief;  marble.   Dome  of  the  Chapel  of  Christianshorg. 

These  are  three  little  angels  standing  and  holding  garlands.  They 


254 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


are  repeated  a  great  number  of  times,  ornamenting  the  wliole  interior 
cornice  of  the  dome. 

Copenhagen,  1820.   The  model  is  in  the  Museum. 

Eaith,  Hope,  aistd  Charity. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  5.71  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
9.85  in. 

Charity  is  represented  by  an  angel  sitting  upon  a  raised  seat  and 
spreading  his  wings  over  two  figures  on  either  side  of  him  whom  he 
encircles  with  his  arms.  One  is  a  woman  kneeling  in  prayer,  — 
Faith :  the  other,  a  woman  seated  and  holding  a  flower  in  her  hand, 
—  Hope. 

Rome,  1836. 

Cheistian  Charity. 

Bas-reUef;  marble.  Frue  Kirke,  Copenhagen.  Height,  2  ft.  3.55  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
6.50  in. 

Charity  is  represented  under  the  figure  of  a  woman  carrying  a 
child  in  her  arms,  and  making  another  go  before  her. 

Rome,  1810.  First  cut  in  marble  the  same  year  for  the  Marquis  of  Landsdown .  A 
second  copy  was  made  later  to  be  sold  for  the  benefit  of  a  poor  Norwegian,  who  died 
before  the  charitable  plan  was  carried  out.  It  is  this  copy,  doubtless,  which,  together 
with  the  plaster  model,  is  now  to  be  seen  in  the  Museum.  The  copy  which  is  placed 
over  the  Poor's  Box  in  the  church  is  consequently  the  third  which  has  been  taken  in 
marble. 

III. 

SEPULCHRAL  MONUMENTS. 

Mausoleum  of  Pius  VII. 

Marble.  Clementine  Chapel,  St.  Peter^s,  Rome.  Height  of  statue  of  Pope,  9  ft. 
".74  in. ;  Wisdom,  9  ft.  8.14  in. ;  tiirength,  9  ft.  11.68  in. ;  Tsvo  angels  seated,  4  ft.  8.29 
In.  and  4  ft.  10.26  in.;  The  Pope's  Arms  (bas-relief):  height,  2  ft.  4.34  in. ;  length, 
6  ft.  9.10  in. 

This  monument  is  square  in  shape.  It  is  surmounted  by  statues 
of  the  Pope,  and  of  two  angels  placed  one  on  each  side  of  the  Pontiff. 
To  the  right  and  left  of  the  door  of  the  mausoleum  are  the  statues  of 
Wisdom  and  of  Strength.  The  Holy  Pather,  seated  upon  the  pon- 
tifical throne,  raises  his  right  hand  to  give  tlie  benediction.  The 
tiara  is  placed  upon  his  head,  and  he  wears  the  cope  and  the  alb: 


CATALOGUE. 


255 


upon  the  border  of  the  latter  are  represented  the  instruments  of  mar- 
tyrdom of  the  Apostles.  Divine  Wisdom  is  represented  under  the 
figure  of  a  woman,  standing,  wearing  the  aegis  of  Minerva,  and  hold- 
ing the  open  volume  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  :  the  owl  is  at  her  feet. 
Another  woman,  her  head  and  shoulders  covered  by  the  lion's  skin 
of  Hercules,  typifies  Divine  Strength :  she  tramples  under  foot  ma- 
terial strength,  symbolized  by  the  club,  and  with  arms  crossed  upon 
her  breast  looks  up  to  heaven.  On  the  right  an  angel,  seated,  points 
with  his  finger  to  the  hour-glass  which  has  numbered  the  days  of  the 
Pope ;  on  the  left  another  angel  has  just  closed  the  book  in  which  he 
has  recorded  the  actions  of  Pius  VII.  Over  the  door  of  the  mauso- 
leum two  little  angels  support  the  arms  of  the  Pontifi",  surmounted 
by  the  tiara  and  the  keys  of  St.  Peter. 

Erected  at  the  expense  of  Cardinal  Consalvi.  Modelled  at  Rome,  1824-1831.  The 
plaster  models  are  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum,  as  well  as  a  sketch  of  the  whole  mau- 
soleum (height,  3  ft.  6.51  in.),  and  a  sketch  of  the  statue  of  the  Pope  (height.  1  ft.  5.71 
in.).  In  this  first  composition,  which  was  not  adopted,  the  Pontiff  has  laid  aside  the 
tiara,  and  holds  in  his  hand  the  palm  of  martyrdom.  Two  angels  were  to  have  held 
a  crown  of  stars  ahove  his  head.   (See  p.  92  seq.) 

Monument  op  Cardinal  Consalvi. 

Bust  and  has-relief ;  marble.  Pantheon,  Rome.  Height  of  bas-relief,  1  ft.  10.44 
in.;  length,  4  ft.  0.03  in. 

In  the  bas-relief  the  cardinal  presents  to  the  Holy  Father  six  kneel- 
ing provinces ;  the  first  two  are  An<"0)ia,  with  a  rudder,  and  Bologna, 
with  a  shield. 

Rome,  1824.   (See  p.  96.) 

Mausoleum  of  Eugene  de  Beauharnais. 

Group;  Carrara  marble.  Church  of  St.  Michael,  Munich.  Height  of  statue  of 
the  Prince,  9  ft.  1.44  in. 

Eugene,  wearing  a  tunic  open  on  the  right  side,  and  a  cloak  thrown 
over  his  shoulders,  stands  before  the  closed  door  of  his  tomb.  He 
places  his  left  hand  on  his  heart,  and  holds  in  his  right  a  laurel 
Avreath  which  he  presents  to  the  Muse  of  History.  The  Muse,  seated, 
is  writing  upon  a  tablet  the  exploits  of  the  hero.  On  the  other  side, 
the  Genius  of  Death  carries  his  extinguished  torch,  and  sustains  the 
Genius  of  Immortality,  whose  eyes  are  raised  to  heaven.  At  the  feet 
of  the  prince  lie  the  iron  cr6wn  of  Italy,  his  armor,  helmet,  sword, 
and  baton  of  command.  Between  the  capitals  of  the  columns  which 
form  the  door  of  the  tomb  is  inscribed  the  motto  of  Eugene  de  Beau- 


256 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEI^. 


liamais,  —  Honneur  et  Fidelite.  On  the  socle  of  the  mausoleum  is 
the  following  inscription  upheld  by  two  angels  :  — 

HIC  PLACIDE  OSSA  CUBANT 
EUGENn  NAPOLEONIS 
REGIS  ITALIC  VICES  QUONDAJM  GERENTIS 
NAT.  LUTET.  PARISIOR.  D.  IH.  SEPT.  MDCCLXXXI. 
DEF.  MONACHH  D.  XXI.  FEBR.  MDCCCXXTV. 
MONUMENTUM  POSUIT  VIDUA  MCERENS 
AUGUSTA  AMALIA 
MAX.  JOSEPH.  BAV.  REGIS  FELIA. 

Modelled  at  Rome  in  1827 ;  erected  in  1830.  (See  pp.  105  and  112.)  The  Museum 
has  the  plaster  model  of  the  statue  of  the  prince,  and  the  sketch  of  the  group  of  the 
two  genii  (height,  1  ft.  4.92  in.). 

Monument  of  Christian  IV,  King  of  Denmark. 

Statue  and  bas-relief;  bronze.  In  the  Garden  of  Rosenborg,  Copenhagen^  Height 
of  statue,  7  ft.  1.43  in.  Height  of  bas-relief,  1  ft.  10.44  in. ;  length,  2  ft.  7.10  in. 

This  monument  consists  of  a  statue  of  the  king  and  a  bas-relief. 
The  monarch  stands,  wearing  the  costume  of  his  time,  holding  his 
hat  in  his  right  hand,  and  resting  his  left  upon  his  sword.  He  wears 
the  insignia  of  the  Order  of  the  Elephant.  The  bas-relief,  composed 
to  illustrate  the  king's  motto,  Begna  jirmat  Pietas,  exhibits  three 
genii  personifying  Strength,  Government,  and  Piety. 

The  statue  was  modelled  at  Copenhagen  in  1840 ;  the  bas-relief,  at  Nysoe  in  1842. 
The  statue,  which  was  intended  to  be  placed,  with  the  bas-relief,  upon  the  sarcoph- 
agus of  Christian  IV  at  Roeskilde,  the  burial-place  of  the  Danish  kings,  has  changed 
its  destination,  and  has  since  been  set  up  in  the  little  garden  surrounding  the  castle 
of  Rosenborg,  at  Copenhagen.  The  Thorvaldsen  Museum  has  the  plaster  models  of 
the  statue  and  of  the  bas-relief,  and  a  sketch  of  the  statue  (height,  2  ft.  1.59  in.). 
There  is  also  a  small  model  in  plaster  belonging  to  Madame  von  Stampe.  (See 
p.  157.) 

Mausoletoi  of  Prince  Vladbiir  Potociq. 

Statue  and  bas-relief ;  marble.  Cathedral  of  Cracow.  Height  of  statue,  ft.  0.25 
in.   Bas-relief,  height,  2  ft.  11.43  in. ;  width,  2  ft.  6.70  in. 

The  young  prince  is  represented  as  an  antique  hero.  His  open 
tunic  sliows  his  breast ;  his  cloak  is  thrown  over  his  left  shoulder ; 
his  right  hand  rests  upon  his  hip,  his  left  upon  the  pommel  of  his 
sword.  At  his  feet  lie  his  helmet  and  breastplate  :  upon  the  latter  is 
sculptured  the  Polish  eagle.  In  the  bas-relief,  the  Genius  of  Death, 
crowned  with  poppies,  is  seated  and  asleep ;  his  right  hand  resting 


CATALOGUE. 


257 


upon  his  extinguished  torch,  his  left  holding  a  garland  of  oak-leaves. 
(See  wood-cut,  p.  168.) 

The  statue  was  modelled  at  Rome  in  1821  (see  pp.  81  and  225),  and  the  bas-relief  in 
1829.  The  Thorvaldsen  Museum  has  the  j)laster  models,  as  well  as  a  marble  copy  of 
the  bas-relief,  The  Genius  of  Death. 

Mausoleum  of  Conraddin. 

Statue;  marble.  Church  of  the  Madonna  del  Carmine,  Naples.  Height,  7  ft. 
0.25  in. 

The  last  of  the  Hohenstaufens  is  standing,  his  shoulders  coveied 
by  the  royal  mantle,  and  his  right  hand  resting  upon  the  hilt  of  his 
sword.  He  wears  the  Neapolitan  crown ;  and  his  helmet,  the  crest 
of  which  is  surmounted  by  an  eagle's  head,  lies  behind  him. 

Modelled  at  Rome  in  1836,  to  the  order  of  King  Louis  of  Bavaria.  The  marble 
left  unfinished  at  the  artist's  death  was  completed  by  the  Bavarian  sculptor,  Peter 
Schopf,  and  the  statue  set  up  in  1847.  The  Thoi-valdsen  Museum  has  the  model  in 
plaster  and  a  sketch  (height,  1  ft.  9.65  in.).   Another  sketch  belongs  to  Herr  Thiele. 

Mausoleum  of  the  Physician  Vacca  Berlinghieri. 

Medallion  and  bas-reUef;  marble.  Campo  Santo,  Pisa.  Diameter  of  medallion, 
1  ft.  6.89  in.   Height  of  bas-relief,  3  ft.  4.55  in ;  length,  6  ft.  6.74  in. 

The  medallion  is  a  portrait  of  the  celebrated  oculist.  The  bas-re- 
lief represents  Tobit  healing  his  father.  The  young  man  holds  a  cup 
containing  the  lotion  of  fish-gall  which  he  applies  to  his  father's  eyes. 
The  angel  is  withdrawing ;  and  the  mother,  leaning  upon  the  table, 
watches  her  son.    The  dog  sits  looking  toward  his  young  master. 

Rome,  1828.   (See  p.  108.)   The  plaster  models  are  in  the  Museum. 

Monument  of  Eaphael. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  8  ft.  0.61  in.;  length,  4  ft. 
3.18  in. 

The  god  of  Love  supports  the  tablet  which  the  artist  is  drawing, 
and  presents  to  him  a  rose  and  a  poppy,  emblems  of  pleasure  and 
of  eternal  sleep.  Haphael,  in  the  costume  of  his  time,  one  foot  rest- 
ing upon  a  Corinthian  capital,  is  seated  upon  the  altar  of  the  Muses 
and  Graces.  Fame  brings  him  a  palm-branch  and  a  wreath  of  laurel, 
while  the  Genius  of  Light  brandishes  his  torch. 

Rome,  1833.   Intended  for  the  tomb  of  Raphael,  but  the  plan  was  not  executed. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  Augusta  Bohmer. 

Three  bas-reliefs  ;  marble.  Near  Wurzburg,  Bavaria.  Height,  2  ft.  7.10  iu.; 
width,  2  ft.  0.01  in.,  and  height  same  ;  width,  1  ft.  6.11  in. 


258 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


On  the  front,  Augusta  Bulimer,  while  giving  drink  to  her  mother,, 
is  stung  by  a  serpent  in  the  heel,  —  an  allusion  to  the  j^'oung  girl's 
death.  On  the  sides,  Nemesis  notes  this  act  of  filial  devotion ;  the 
Genius  of  Death,  his  head  covered  with  poppies,  leans  upon  his  in- 
verted torch. 

Rome,  1811.  Ordered  by  the  philosopher  Schelling,  whose  wife,  Caroline  Schel- 
ling,  a  writer  of  some  reputation,  was  the  mother  of  Augusta  Bohmer.  The  young 
girl  had  been  an  actress  at  Weimar  (Miiller).  The  Genius  of  Death  was  executed 
separately  for  the  tomb  of  Herr  Donner  at  Altona.    Plaster  models  in  the  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  Philip  Bethmann  Holweg. 

Three  bas-reliefs  ;  marble.  Cemetery  at  Frankfort.  Height,  2  ft.  11.43  in, ;  lengthy 
1  ft  7.11  in.,  and  height  same ;  width,  3  ft.  1.40  in. 

This  young  man,  who  had  risked  his  life  at  a  fire  in  Vienna,  died 
shortly  after,  in  Florence,  in  consequence  of  this  act  of  devotion, 
and  in  spite  of  his  brother's  care.  He  is  represented  in  the  principal 
bas-relief  at  the  moment  of  expiring,  and  giving  to  his  brother  the 
civic  crown,  the  reward  of  his  courage.  The  Genius  of  Death,  hold- 
ing poppies  in  his  hand,  leans  upon  his  shoulder.  The  bas-relief  on 
the  left  represents  the  mother  and  sisters  of  the  young  man  over- 
whelmed with  grief;  the  one  on  the  right  has  a  figure  of  Nemesis^ 
and  beside  her  the  River  Arno  and  the  Lion  of  Florence. 

Rome,  1814.    Plaster  models  in  the  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  the  Baroness  von  Sc/iubart. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Leglwrn,  Cemetery  of  the  Protestant  English  Church. 
Height,  1  ft.  11.62  in.;  length,  3  ft.  1.40  in. 

The  husband  is  seated  upon  the  edge  of  the  couch  upon  which  his 
wife  is  lying :  he  takes  her  hand  and  raises  his  arm  in  an  attitude  of 
grief.    The  Genius  of  Death  stands  at  the  head  of  the  bed. 

Rome,  1814.    Plaster  model  in  the  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monu:ment  of  the  Children  of  the 
Princess  Helena  Poninska. 

Bas-relief ;  marble.  Cathedral  of  Cracow,  Chapel  of  the  Jagellons.  Height,  3 ft.. 
2.58  in.;  length,  5  ft.  2.20  in. 

A  brother  and  sister,  led  by  a  Genius  whose  torch  is  not  yet  ex- 
tinguished, are  leaving  their  weeping  mother,  who  strives  to  detain 
them. 


CATALOGUE. 


259 


Modelled  at  Rome  in  1835,  to  the  order  of  the  princess,  whose  children  had  died 
within  a  short  time  of  each  other.  The  plaster  model  and  a  sketch  are  in  the  Mu- 
seum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  the  Countess  Pore. 

Bas-rehef;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  11.43  in.;  width,  3ft. 
0.22  in. 

The  husband  of  the  deceased,  seated,  raises  his  arm  and  holds 
upon  his  knees  the  funeral  urn.  The  daughter  approaches  her  father 
to  console  him,  and  lays  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder.  The  son,  a 
mere  child,  embraces  the  urn  which  holds  the  ashes  of  his  mother. 

Rome,  1817.  We  do  not  know  whether  this  bas-relief  was  ever  executed.  Com- 
pare it  with  the  second  bas-relief  of  the  monument  of  Philip  Bethmann.  ( Vide 
supra.  J 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  the  Countess  Berkowska. 

Bas-relief ;  marble.  Upon  the  tomb  at  .  .  .  ?  Height,  2  ft.  6.70  in. ;  width, 
3  ft.  3.37  in. 

The  Genius  of  Death  is  leading  the  countess,  and  extinguishes  his 
torch  against  the  stone  which  marks  the  limit  of  the  life  of  the  de- 
ceased.   Her  son  prays  to  heaven,  and  tries  to  detain  her. 

Rome,  1816.   Ordered  by  the  son  of  the  countess.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  the  Baroness  Chaxdry. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Upon  the  tomb  in  England.  Height,  4  ft.  1. '21  in.;  width, 
3  ft.  2.58  in. 

A  young  woman  is  soaring  toward  heaven,  holding  in  her  hands  a 
cross  which  she  presses  against  her  breast;  the  Genius  of  Death 
raises  his  eyes,  and  leans  upon  his  inverted  torch. 

Rome,  1818.  The  marble  sent  to  England  in  1828  (Thiele).  Plaster  model  in  Mu- 
seum.   (Seep.  226.) 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  Lady  Newboock. 

Bas-relief ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  5.92  in.  ;  length,  2  ft. 
6.70  in. 

A  column  upon  which  the  cross  is  sculptured  supports  a  cinerary 
urn.  The  mother  of  the  deceased,  in  mourning  weeds,  kneels  beside 
the  ashes  of  her  daughter.    Opposite,  the  Genius  of  Death,  holding 


26o 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


poppies  in  his  left  hand,  bends  his  head  and  leans  upon  his  inverted 
to'rch. 

Rome,  1818. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  Mademoiselle  Jacobi. 

Statue;  marble.  At  Altona. 

An  angel  is  kneeling  in  prayer  with  his  arms  crossed  upon  his 
breast.    The  torch  of  life  beside  him  is  not  quite  extinguished. 

Nysoe,  1839.   Sketch  in  the  Museum  (height,  1  ft.  5.71  in.). 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  an  English  Lady. 

Bas-relief ;  marble.  On  the  tomb  in  England.  Height,  3  ft.  1.40  in. ;  length,  4  ft. 
3.18  in. 

An  aged  woman,  with  eyes  uplifted  and  hands  clasped,  kneels 
between  two  angels,  one  of  whom  is  writing  the  record  of  her  life, 
while  the  other  points  to  the  empty  hour-glass. 

Rome,  1828.  Ordered  by  an  Englishman,  Mr.  Thompson.  The  two  little  angels 
suggested  the  two  figures  which  were  added  to  the  mausoleum  of  Pius  Vn.  Plaster 
model  in  the  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  a  Wife. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  0  80  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
10.14  in. 

An  afflicted  husband  grasps  the  hand  of  his  wife,  who  is  taking 
leave  of  him. 

Destination  unknown. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  a  Young  Woman. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  4  ft.  1.99  in;  width,  3  ft. 
3.37  in. 

A  young  woman,  with  the  right  arm  raised  and  holding  a  cross  in 
the  left  hand,  is  ascending  to  heaven.  The  Genius  of  Death,  with 
closed  eyes,  leans  upon  his  extinguished  torch. 

Destination  unknown. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of    Goethe. 

Medallion  ;  marble.    Upon  the  tomb  at  Rome.  Diameter,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 
Portrait  of  the  son  of  the  celebrated  German  author. 
Plaster  model  in  the  Museum, 


CATALOGUE. 


Sepulchral  Monument  of  the  Painter  Bassi. 

Medallion;  marble.    Upon  the  tomb  in  Italy.   Diameter,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 

Portrait. 

Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  Count  Arthur  Potocki. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Cathedral  of  Cracow.  Height,  1  ft.  0.99  in.;  length,  1  ft. 
6.89  in. 

Three  children  praying  upon  their  father's  tomb. 

Rome,  1834.  Ordered  by  the  widow,  and  placed  as  an  altar-piece  in  the  chapel 
over  the  count's  tomb.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Sepulchral  Monument  of  M.  Mylius. 

Bas-reUef ;  marble.   3Iilan.   Height,  3  ft.  2.97  in. ;  length,  6  ft.  3.19  in. 

The  car  of  Nemesis  is  represented  drawn  by  two  horses,  one  of 
which  is  rearing  and  is  struck  by  the  goddess.  A  dog  runs  beside 
the  horses  to  point  out  tlie  way.  Upon  the  wheel  are  depicted  the 
different  phases  through  which  Destiny  may  compel  mankind  to  pass. 
Behind  the  car  march  two  genii;  one  armed  with  a  sword  to  punish 
the  guilty,  the  other  loaded  with  wreaths  to  reward  the  deserving. 
Upon  the  background  of  the  bas-relief  are  figured  the  signs  of  the 
zodiac,  the  Balance  being  above  the  head  of  Nemesis. 

Rome,  1834.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

The  Genius  of  Life  and  the  Genius  of  Death. 

Group;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  8.67  in. 

The  Genius  of  Life,  winged,  holds  a  lighted  torch,  and  rests  his 
right  arm  on  the  shoulder  of  the  Genius  of  Death,  whose  torch  is  in- 
verted. These  two  figures  stand  before  a  meta,  upon  which  are  ii 
cinerary  urn  and  a  shroud. 

Destination  unknown. 


262  WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


PAN  AND  A  YOUNG  SATYB. 


PUBLIC  AND  COMMEMORATIVE  MONUMENTS. 


MONtTMENT  TO   THE  MEMORY   OF   THE   SWISS  MASSACRED   OX  THE 

10th  August,  1792.    (See  wood-cut,  p.  73.) 

Colossal  figure  carved  in  the  rock.  iMcerne.  Height,  19  ft.  8.22  in. ;  length,  29  ft. 
6.33  in. 

Sufficiently  described  in  the  text.    (See  p.  73.) 

Modelled  at  Rome,  1819;  cut  in  the  rock  by  Lucas  Ahorn,  of  Constance.  The 
plaster  model  is  in  the  Thoi-valdsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  9.46  in. ;  length,  5  ft. 
1.02  in. 

Equestrlaj^  Statue  of  Prince  Poniatowsiq. 

Bronze;  colossal  statue. 

The  prince,  mounted  upon  a  horse  standing  at  rest,  makes  a  ges- 
ture of  command  with  his  right  hand,  whicli  holds  a  sword.  He  is 
clad  in  the  Roman  garb,  and  the  Polish  eagle  is  engraved  on  his 
cuirass. 

Rome,  1827.  The  statue  has  disappeared  (See  p.  79  et  seq.)  The  Thorvaldsen 
Museum  has  two  plaster  models  of  this  figure  (height,  8  ft.  5.57  in.,  and  15  ft.  3.07 
in.),  the  sketch  of  a  previous  model  iu  a  different  attitude  (height,  2  ft.  3.95  in.),  and 
a  separate  plaster  of  the  horse  (height,  (i  ft.  11. 4G  in.),  as  the  artist  first  proposed  to 
represent  him,  namely,  at  the  moment  wlidi  the  aiiiiual  lies^itates  to  take  the  leap  into 
the  Elster.  This  horse  v?as  cast  in  bronze  after  Thorvald^eirs  death,  to  serve  as  one 
of  the  four  coursers  attached  to  the  car  of  Victory  placed  above  the  pediment  of  the 


CATALOGUE, 


263 


?«£u3eum.  There  is  a  plaster  model  of  the  equestrian  statue  of  Poniatowski,  at  Leip- 
sic,  in  the  Gerhard  Garden,  near  the  spot  where  the  prince  expired. 

Monument  to  I^ing  Frederick  VI  of  Denmakk. 

Bust ;  four  bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Near  Slcanderberg,  in  Jutland.  Height  of  the 
whole,  21  ft.  3.90  in. 

The  monument  consists  of  a  colossal  bust  of  the  king  placed  upon 
an  enormous  block  of  granite  upon  each  of  whose  four  sides  a  bas- 
relief  is  let  in.  These  bas-reliefs  represent :  The  Emancipation  of 
the  Peasantry.  A  Genius,  wearing  a  tunic  unfastened  at  the  shoulder, 
is  breaking  the  chains  and  the  yoke.  The  Institution  of  the  Provincial 
Estates.  A  Genius,  a  nude  figure,  with  a  mantle  thrown  over  the  left 
shoulder,  is  unrolling  the  parchment  upon  which  is  inscribed  the 
royal  decree.  The  Administration  (f  Justice.  A  Genius  with  the 
left  hand  resting  upon  a  sword  holds  a  balance  in  the  right :  in  one 
of  the  scales  lies  the  royal  crown,  in  the  other  a  sickle.  The  owl  is 
at  his  feet.  The  Genius  is  clothed  in  a  tunic  open  on  the  right  side. 
The  Protection  of  the  Sciences  and  Arts.  A  Genius  entirely  nude 
holds  a  crown  in  his  hand  and  a  lyre  upon  his  arm.  On  the  ground 
is  a  cist  containing  rolls  of  parchment. 

The  bust  was  modelled  at  Rome,  in  1819;  the  bas-reliefs,  at  Copenhagen,  in  1842 
and  '43.  There  are  in  the  Museum  plaster  models  of  the  bust  and  of  the  bas-reliefs 
measuring  2  ft  0.40  in.  by  1  ft.  4  53  in.,  but  the  marbles  of  the  monument  are  much 
larger  The  Emancipation  of  the  Peasants,  the  Administration  of  Justice,  and  the 
Protection  of  the  Arts  were  also  treated  at  the  same  time  by  the  artist  in  still  other 
models  which  were  never  executed.  The  dimensions  are  nearly  the  same.  These 
plasters  are  also  in  the  Museum,  as  well  as  a  sketch  for  a  statue  of  Frederick  VI 
(height,  1  ft.  6.50  in.),  modelled  at  Copenhagen  in  1840,  which  was  to  have  been  exe- 
cuted of  colossal  dimensions  for  the  Skanderberg  monument.  The  monarch  is  rep- 
resented seated  upon  the  throne  of  Denmark,  his  right  hand  extended  and  his  left 
holding  a  roll  of  paper.   He  wears  his  coronation  robes. 


Equestrian  Statue  of  the  Elector  Maxumilian  I  of  Bavarlv. 

Bronze.  Wittelshachplatz ,  Munich.  Colossal.  Height,  18  ft.  0.53  in. ;  and  with 
the  marble  pedestal,  35  ft.  5,19  in. 

The  elector  wears  the  armor  of  the  period  of  the  Thirty  Years' 
War.  His  head  is  uncovered.  His  right  hand  is  extended  in  the  act 
of  giving  an  order ;  with  the  left  he  checks  his  horse. 

Rome,  1833-36.  (Seep.  128.)  There  are  in  the  Museum  a  plaster  model  of  the 
statue  (height,  2  ft.  7.49  in.),  and  two  separate  models  of  the  horse  (height,  13  ft.  3.44 
in.,  and  6  ft.  7,52  In.;. 


264  WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Monument  to  Lord  Byron. 

Marble.  Library  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.  Height  of  statue,  5  ft.  9.29  ir. 
Bas-relief:  height,  2  ft.  8.28  in. ;  width,  1  ft.  11.62  in. 

The  poet,  in  modern  costume,  is  seated  upon  fragments  of  Greek 
columns.  The  head  is  uncovered;  in  his  left  hand  is  his  poem  of 
"  Childe  Harold" ;  and  his  right,  holding  a  pen,  is  raised  toward  his 
chin.  On  the  broken  column  are  sculptured  on  one  side  aqhnh,  with 
the  owl;  on  the  other,  the  griffin  and  the  lyre  of  Apollo.  A  death's 
head  lies  beside  the  column.  The  bas-relief  represents  the  Genius 
of  Poetry  tuning  his  lyre,  with  one  foot  resting  upon  the  bow  of  a 
boat. 

Rome,  1831.  (See  p.  125.)  The  Museum  has  a  small  sketch  of  the  statue,  from 
which  it  differs  slightly  (height,  1  ft.  8.86  in.),  and  two  plaster  models  (height,  5  ft. 
8.89  in.).   Also  a  plaster  of  the  bas-relief,  together  with  a  repetition  in  marble. 

MONIBIENT  TO  SCHILLER. 
Bronze.    Stuttgart.  Colossal. 

The  poet  stands  draped  in  an  ample  cloak,  his  head  encircled  with 
laurel,  his  right  hand  holding  a  pen,  the  left  a  book.  Upon  the  ped- 
estal are  three  bas-reliefs.  Apotheosis  of  Schiller.  The  eagle  of  Ju- 
piter, holding  a  scroll  in  his  talons,  supports  a  globe  surmounted  by 
a  star,  and  having  inscribed  upon  it  the  name  of  the  poet.  The 
Scorpion  and  the  Bull,  the  signs  of  the  zodiac  which  presided  over 
the  birth  and  the  death  of  Schiller,  also  figure  in  the  composition. 
On  either  side  hover  the  Muses  of  Tragedy  and  History.  The  Genius 
of  Poetry  is  represented  flying,  holding  the  plectrum  in  his  right 
hand,  and  the  lyre  upon  his  left  arm.  Above  his  head  is  a  star. 
Victorij.  This  figure  is  soaring  upward  holding  a  palm-branch  and  a 
wreath.  Her  tunic,  unfastened,  leaves  the  right  breast  uncovered. 
Upon  the  fourth  side  of  the  pedestal  is  a  lyre,  supported  by  the 
griffins  of  Apollo,  and  the  date  1839. 

Rome,  1835 ;  erected  1839.  ( Sec  p.  129. )  The  Thorvaldsen  Museum  has  a  colossal 
plaster  of  the  statue  and  a  small  sketch  (height,  2  ft.  9.46  in.),  in  which  the  poet 
holds  a  scroll  instead  of  a  book.  The  plasters  of  the  three  bas-reliefs  are  also  in  the 
Museum  (height,  2  ft.  e.80  in.;  length,  4  ft.  3.18  in.;  height,  2  ft.  J  1.03  in.;  width, 
same ;  height,  2  ft.  10.25  in. ;  width,  2  ft.  9.46  in.). 

Monument  to  Gutenberg. 

Bronze.  At  Mayence.  Height  of  statue,  11  ft.  8.55  in.  Bas-reliefs  :  height.  3  ft. 
0.22  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  11.05  in.  and  3  ft.  11.24  in. 

The  inventor  of  printing  is  represented  standing,  and  in  the  cos- 
tume of  the  Middle  Ages ;  he  holds  in  his  right  hand  several  inovaPle 


CATALOGUE. 


265 


types,  and  supported  by  Ms  left  arm  tlie  first  printed  Bible.  In  one 
of  the  bas-reliefs,  Gutenberg  is  seated  before  a  case  and  showing 
the  types  to  his  collaborator,  Faust ;  the  latter  is  leaning  upon  one 
of  the  engraved  blocks  in  use  before  the  invention  of  movable  types. 
The  other  bas-relief  represents  Gutenberg  examining  a  printed  sheet, 
taken  from  the  new  press,  upon  which  a  printer  is  at  work. 

Modelled  at  Rome,  from  1833  to  1835,  by  Herr  Bissen  from  Thorvaldsen's  sketches ; 
erected  at  Mayence  in  1837.  (See  p.  129.)  The  Museum  has  the  plaster  models,  the 
sketch  of  the  statue  (height,  1  ft.  10.04  in.),  and  that  of  one  of  the  bas-reliefs,  The 
Invention  of  the  Printing  Press  (height,  1  ft.  3.74  in. ;  width,  1  ft.  7.68  in.).  There 
is  also  a  plaster  cast  of  the  statue  in  the  Library  at  Mayence. 

Monument  to  Copernicus. 

Statue;  bronze.   Square  of  the  University y  Warsaw.   Height,  9  ft.  3.41  in. 

The  astronomer  sits  watching  the  heavens,  at  the  same  time  meas- 
uring with  a  compass  upon  an  armillary  sphere  which  he  holds  in  his 
left  hand. 

Rome,  1823.    (See  p.  79.)    Plaster  model  in  the  Museum. 

Monument  to  Appiani. 

Medallion  and  bas-relief;  marble.  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Milan.  Diameter  of 
medallion,  1  ft.  6.89  in.   Bas-relief:  height,  4  ft.  1.60  in. ;  width.  3  ft.  4.15  in. 

In  the  medallion  is  sculptured  the  head  of  Appiani :  the  bas-relief 
represents  Love  singing  the  fame  of  the  painter  and  the  Three 
Graces  sadly  listening. 

Rome,  1821.  (See  pp.  90  and  103.)  The  Museum  has  the  plaster  models,  besides 
a  repetition  of  the  marble  bas-relief. 

Monument  to  Lord  Maitland. 

Bust  and  bas-relief;  bronze.  Island  of  Zante.  Bust,  colossal.  Height  of  bas- 
relief,  2  ft.  7.10  in. ;  width,  2  ft.  1.98  in. 

This  monument  was  erected  in  memory  of  Lord  Maitlaud's  admin- 
istration as  commissioner  of  the  Ionian  Islands.  The  bas-relief,  set 
into  the  pedestal,  represents  Minerva  unveiling  Vice,  a  woman  richly 
clothed,  and  throwing  her  protecting  arm  around  Virtue,  who  is  dis- 
tinguished by  the  simplicity  of  her  attire. 

Rome,  1818.   Plaster  models  in  the  Museum. 

Monument  to  Hans  Madsen. 

Bas-relief;  bronze.  Church  of  Svanninge,  Denmark.  Height,  4  ft.  7.11  bi.: 
width,  3  ft.  3.37  in. 


266 


WOBKS  OF  THOTiVALDSEJSr. 


This  bas-relief  commemorates  an  incident  of  the  war  of  1435. 
Hans  Madsen,  taken  prisoner  by  the  forces  of  Lubecli,  escapes  to  the 
Danish  army.  He  is  represented  bare-footed,  liolding  a  hop-pole  by 
the  aid  of  which  he  crossed  the  river,  and  is  explaining  to  the  Danish 
general  the  plans  of  the  enemy.  The  general,  wearing  the  iron 
armor  of  the  fifteenth  century,  is  accompanied  by  his  secretary  and 
his  squire. 

Nysoe,  1841.  Ordered  by  the  Count  von  Bille-Brahe.  Hans  Madsen  had  been 
curate  of  Svanninge.   Plaster  model  in  Museum,  inscribed  :  Nysoe,  5  March,  1841. 

Monument  to  Prince  von  Schwarzenberg. 

Sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  3.37  in. 

The  general  stands,  holding  in  his  hand  the  baton  of  command. 
Upon  one  of  the  sides  of  the  pedestal  Nemesis  records  the  warrior's 
exploits;  on  the  other,  Victory  oifers  him  a  palm-branch;  while 
upon  the  front  is  represented  the  prince's  entry  into  Leipzig  in  1813. 
Under  this  last  bas-relief  is  a  lion  couchant. 

Rome,  1821.  Ordered  by  Prince  Metternich,  but  never  executed;  the  lion  alone 
has  been  cut  in  marble.   (See  Divers  Subjects.) 

Monument  to  Goethe. 

Sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3.55  in. 

The  poet  stands  reading  in  a  book  which  he  holds  in  the  left  hand : 
the  right,  hanging  by  his  side,  holds  a  pen.  At  his  feet  a  lyre  rests 
against  a  cist. 

Copenhagen,  1839.  Ordered  by  a  committee  from  Frankfort,  but  never  executed. 
Thorvaldsen  made  at  the  same  time  another  sketch  (height,  1  ft.  6.50  in.),  also  in  the 
Museum.  It  represents  the  poet  seated  and  with  his  head  raised. 


CATALOGUE, 


267 


CUPID  AND  BACCHUS. 


MYTHOLOGICAL  AND  HEROIC  SUBJECTS. 


I. 

GROUPS  AND  STATUES. 
Mercury  Argiphontes. 

Statue;  marble.    TTiorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  5  ft.  8.11  in. 

Mercury,  having  just  put  Argus  to  sleep  by  playing  upon  the 
syrinx,  gently  removes  the  instrument  from  his  lips,  and  with  his 
right  hand  draws  his  sword ;  fearing  to  wake  his  adversary,  he  holds 
the  scabbard  with  his  heel.  The  god  is  seated,  but  on  the  point  of 
rising. 

Rome,  1818.  (See  pp.  60  and  196.)  This  statue  has  been  several  times  cut  in  mar- 
ble :  among  others,  for  Mr.  Alexander  Baring,  afterwards  Lord  Ashburton,  in  1822; 
and  for  Count  Potocki,  in  1829.  Another  copy  was  cut  in  1824,  in  which  a  defect  in 
the  marble  made  it  necessary  to  suppress  the  petasus  (winged  cap),  and  which  after 
the  artist's  death  was  purchased  by  the  Spanish  Government.  The  plaster  model  is 
in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum,  and  another  in  the  Louvre.  This  statue  is  also  in  the 
Marble  Palace  at  Potsdam. 

]Mars  and  Cupid. 

Colossal  group;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  7  ft.  11.27  in. 
Mars  has  laid  aside  his  sword  and  helmet.    He  leans  with  his  left 
hand  upon  his  inverted  lance ;  in  the  right  he  holds  one  of  Cupid's 


268 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


arrows.  The  son  of  Venus  has  taken  up  the  sword  of  the  god  of 
war,  and  smiles  as  he  looks  at  it. 

Rome,  1810.  Subject  taken  from  the  forty-fifth  ode  of  Anacreon.  (See  p.  197.) 
The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum.  The  artist  had  previously,  in  1808,  composed  a 
statue,  Mars  Pacificator,  ordered  by  the  Prince  of  Bavaria.  (See  p.  45.)  The  god 
was  standing,  holding  in  his  right  hand  an  olive-branch,  and  in  his  left  his  inverted 
lance.  His  sword  and  helmet  rested  against  the  trunk  of  a  palm-tree,  beside  which 
were  the  doves  of  Venus.  Some  German  journals  would  have  us  believe  that  this 
work  was  cut  in  marble  for  Russia  and  for  England,  but  Thorvaldsen  assured  Ilerr 
Thiele  that  it  was  not  so.   Even  the  clay  model  has  disappeared, 

Apollo.    (See  cut,  p.  229.) 

Statue ;  marble.    Purchased  by  Herr  von  Eopp,  at  Mitau.   Height,  4  ft.  9.08  in. 

Apollo  is  Standing,  crowned  with  laurel,  holding  the  plectrum  in 
his  right  hand,  the  lyre  upon  his  left  arm.  Beside  him  is  the  Delphic 
tripod. 

Rome,  1805.  Ordered  by  the  Countess  Woronzoff,  who,  however,  obtained  only  a 
repetition.  In  the  latter  a  tree-trunk  took  the  place  of  the  tripod.  It  is  the  model 
of  this  second  statue  which  is  in  the  Museum.   (See  p.  200.) 

Bacchus.    (See  cut,  p.  85.) 

Statue;  marble.   Purchased  by  the  Countess  Woronzoff.  Height,  4  ft.  7.51  in. 

The  god  standuig,  languid  with  the  fumes  of  wine,  holds  a  thyrsus 
in  the  left  hand,  and  a  goblet  in  the  right. 

Rome,1805.  Ordered  by  the  Countess  "Woronzoff.  (See  pp.  33  and  198.)  Repeated 
in  marble  for  the  Prince  Malte  Putbus.  in  the  Island  of  Riigen.  This  statue  is  also 
in  the  Marble  Palace  at  Potsdam. 

Adomis.    (See  cut,  p.  193.) 

Statue;  Carrara  marble.    GlypfotheJc,  Munich.   Height,  G  ft.  2.01  in. 

The  young  shepherd  is  returning  from  the  chase ;  he  has  thrown 
his  cloak  upon  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  against  which  he  leans,  and  upon 
which  he  has  suspended  a  hare. 

Rome,  1808.  Ordered  by  the  Prince  of  Bavaria.  The  plaster  model  in  the  Museum 
is  not  precisely  like  the  marble,  which  was  much  retouched  by  the  artist.  (See  pp. 
45  and  200.) 

Jasox.    (See  cut,  p.  23.) 

Colossal  statue ;  marble.  Purchased  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hope,  in  England.  Height, 
7  ft.  11.66  in. 

The  hero  is  coming  forward,  armed  with  a  lance  and  carrying 
upon  his  left  arm  the  golden  fleece,  of  which  he  has  just  gained  pos- 


CATALOGUE. 


269 


session  after  slaying  the  dragon  wliicli  guarded  it.  He  turns  his 
head  and  seems  to  cast  a  parting  glance  of  disdain  upon  his  van- 
quished foe. 

Rome,  1802.  The  Museum  has  a  copy  in  marble,  and  the  plaster  model  upon 
which  may  be  distinguished  the  marks  made  by  the  artist  for  the  guidance  of  the 
workman  in  cutting  the  marble,  indicating  changes  to  be  made.  Greater  fulness  was 
given  to  some  of  the  muscles  of  the  thighs  and  legs.   (See  pp.  23,  35,  and  195.) 

Pollux. 

Copy,  —  statue;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  4  ft.  7.11  in. 
Eeduction  of  an  antique  colossal  statue,  one  of  the  Dioscuri  of 
Monte  Cavallo. 

Rome,  1797.   (See  pp.  25  and  194.) 

Vulcan. 

Colossal  statue;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  7  ft  10.48  in. 

The  god  stands  holding  in  his  right  hand  his  hammer,  which  he 
rests  upon  the  anvil ;  in  his  left  hand  are  his  tongs.  The  sword  and 
helmet  of  Mars  and  the  arrows  and  quiver  of  Cupid,  forged  by  Vul- 
can, lie  at  his  feet. 

Rome,  1838.  (See  p.  197.)  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum,  and  also  a  sketch 
(height,  1  ft.  11.62  in.). 

Hercules. 

Colossal  statue ;  bronze.  Faqade  of  the  Palace  of  Christianshorg ,  Copenhagen. 
Height,  12  ft.  10.33  in. 

Hercules  stands  holding  in  his  right  hand  his  club,  the  end  of 
which  rests  upon  the  ground.  The  lion's  skin  is  thrown  over  his  left 
shoulder. 

Copenhagen,  1843.  (See  p.  197.)  Cast  in  bronze  by  Dalhoff.  The  Museum  has 
the  plaster  model,  a  sketch  in  plaster  made  iu  1839  (height,  2  ft.  3  16  in.),  and  a  first 
design  (height,  1  ft.  11  62  in.),  very  different  from  the  finished  work.  This  last  rep- 
resents the  god  with  his  head  covered  by  the  lion's  skin,  holding  in  one  hand  the 
apples  from  the  garden  of  the  Ilesperides,  in  the  other  his  club,  which  rests  upon  his 
shoulder.   In  this  figure  Hercules  wears  a  thick  beard. 

^SCULAPIUS. 

Colossal  statue;  bronze.  Faqade  of  the  Palace  of  Christiansborg.  Height,  12  ft. 
9.93  in. 

^sculapius  holds  in  his  left  hand  the  staff  entwined  with  a  serpent, 
and  in  the  other  medicinal  herbs. 


woin<:s  OF  thobvaldsen. 


Two  sketches,  modelled  in  1839,  are  in  the  Museum  (height,  2  ft.  2.77  in,  and  1  ft 
11.72  in.).  The  execution  of  the  colossal  statue  was  superintended,  after  the  artist's 
death,  by  Herr  Bissen. 

Nemesis. 

Colossal  statue ;  bronze.  Faqade  of  the  Palace  of  Christiansborg .  Height,  12  ft. 
9.54  in. 

Nemesis  stands  holding  tlie  end  of  her  mantle  in  her  left  hand,  and 
the  helm  in  her  right.  Her  attributes,  the  reins  and  the  wheel,  are 
by  her  side. 

Enlarged  to  colossal  dimensions,  after  the  artist's  death,  by  Herr  Bissen.  Thor- 
valdsen  had  only  modelled,  in  1839,  two  sketches  (height,  2  ft.  1.98  in.  and  1  ft.  11.62 
in.),  which  are  in  the  Museum. 

Minerva. 

Colossal  statue ;  bronze.  Fagade  of  the  Palace  of  Christiansborg.  Height,  12  ft. 
10.33  in. 

The  goddess  stands  with  her  right  hand  resting  upon  her  spear 
and  holding  in  her  ieft  an  olive-branch.    The  owl  is  at  her  feet. 

Two  sketches,  modelled  in  1839,  are  in  the  Museum  (height,  2  ft.  3.95  in.  and  2  ft. 
0.40  in.).  After  Thorvaldsen's  death,  Herr  Bissen  had  charge  of  the  completion  of 
the  colossal  statue. 

Cupid  and  Psyche.    (See  cut,  p.  41.) 

Group;  marble.   Purchased  by  the  Countess  Woronzoff.  Height,  4  ft.  5.13  in. 

Cupid  passes  his  left  arm  around  the  young  girl,  who  holds  the  cup 
of  immortality.    He  gently  urges  her  to  drink.    Psyche  hesitates. 

Modelled  at  Montenero  in  1804,  and  finished  in  1805.  A  second  copy  in  marble 
was  bought  by  Prince  Malte  Putbus.  of  RUgen.  A  third  marble  and  the  plaster 
model  are  in  the  Museum.    (See  pp.  33  and  200.) 

Love. 

Statue;  marble.   In  Courland.   Height,  4  ft.  5.93  in. 

Love  crowned  with  roses  leans  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  He 
holds  in  his  right  hand  a  butterfly,  symbolizing  the  soul,  and  in  his 
left  an  arrow,  with  which  he  is  about  to  torment  the  insect.  The 
lion's  skin  of  Hercules  lies  near  the  tree-trunk.  Love,  victorious 
over  strength  and  the  soul,  has  laid  aside  his  bow  and  quiver. 

Rome.  1811.  The  model  of  this  statue,  with  which  the  artist  was  doubtless  dissat- 
isfied, has  disappeared. 


CATALOGUE. 


271 


Love  Victorious.    (See  cut,  p.  63.) 

Statue;  marble.    Gallenj  of  Prince  Esterhazy ,  Vienna.  Height,  4  ft.  9.87  in. 

The  god  is  examining  the  point  of  an  arrow,  holding  it  in  his  right 
hand ;  his  left  hand  holds  the  bow.  He  leans  against  a  tree-trunk, 
over  which  is  thrown  the  lion's  skin  of  Hercules ;  and  around  him 
are  other  trophies  of  his  victories  over  the  gods,  —  the  thunderbolt 
of  Jupiter,  the  helmet  of  Mars,  and  the  lyre  of  Apollo. 

Rome,  1814.   A  plaster  cast  from  the  marble  is  in  the  Museum.    (See  p.  199.) 

Love  Victorious. 

statue ;  marble  (variation  of  the  preceding  figure).  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height, 
4  ft.  9.08  in. 

The  head  of  Love  is  bent  down,  and  the  hand  holding  the  arrow 
brought  up  against  the  breast.  Among  the  attributes  of  vanquished 
gods,  there  are,  in  addition,  those  of  Neptune  and  Pluto  and  the 
broken  thyrsus  of  Bacchus ;  while  in  the  very  helmet  of  Mars  the 
doves  of  Venus  have  built  their  nest  out  of  bits  of  the  plume. 

Rome,  1823.   Plaster  model  in  the  Museum.    (See  p.  199.) 

Bacchus  and  Ariadne. 

Group;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1  ft.  5.71  in. 

Bacchus  and  Ariadne  are  seated.  The  god  holds  a  wine-cup  in  his 
left  hand,  while  his  right  arm  encircles  the  daughter  of  Minos. 
Ariadne  bends  forward  to  pour  the  wine  into  the  cup,  while  her  left 
arm  is  thrown  over  the  shoulder  of  Bacchus. 

Rome,  1798.   (See  p.  26.) 

Achilles  and  Pknthesilea. 

Group;  sketch.    Cabinet  of  Herr  Thiele,  Copenhagen.   Height,  1  ft.  9.65  in. 
Achilles  supports  in  his  arms  the  wounded  queen  of  the  Amazons. 
Rome,  1798. 

Psyche.    (See  cut,  p.  183.) 

Stutue;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  4  ft.  5  14  in. 

A  young  girl  with  the  upper  part  of  the  body  uncovered,  the  dra- 
pery falling  around  the  hips,  and  concealini;  the  legs.  Psyche  is 
returning  from  the  infernal  regions,  bearing  the  box  which  contains 
the  perfume  of  beauty.  She  pauses  with  her  hand  on  the  cover,  hes- 
itating between  fear  and  curiosity. 

Rome,  1811.  Plaster  model  in  the  Museum.  A  copy,  half  size,  was  made  for  the 
brother  of  Mr.  Hope.   (See  p.  203.) 


2/2  WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


TiiK  Infant  Cupid. 

Statue;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  3  ft  4.15  in. 

The  god  is  standing,  liis  head  raised,  his  left  hand  resting  upon  his 
bow. 

Rome,  1814.   The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

GaNY]MEDE. 

Statue ;  marble.   Purchased  by  the  Countess  Woronzoff.   Height,  4  ft.  5.54  in. 

The  youth  wears  the  Phrygian  cap,  but  is  otherwise  nude,  except 
that  his  chlamys  hangs  from  his  left  arm,  which  he  extends  in  pre- 
senting the  filled  goblet.  The  right  hand  hangs  down,  holding  the 
vase. 

Rome,  1805,  to  the  order  of  the  Countess  Woronzoff.  The  plaster  model  and  a 
repetition  in  marble  are  in  the  Museimi.    (See  p.  199.) 

Ganyimede. 

Statue ;  marble.  Purchased  by  Rerr  von  Krause,  Austrian  Consul  at  St.  Peters- 
burg.  Height,  4  ft.  4.36  in. 

The  attitude  difi'ers  from  that  of  the  preceding.  Ganymede  is 
pouring  the  nectar  into  the  bowl. 

Rome,  1816.  The  Museum  has  a  repetition  in  marble,  and  a  plaster  cast  taken 
from  the  model.    (See  p.  199.) 

Ganymede  and  the  Eagle.    (See  cut,  p.  103.) 

Group  ;  marble.  Purchased  by  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  in  England.  Height, 
2  ft.  10.25  in. ;  length,  3  ft.  6.91  in. 

Ganymede,  kneeling  upon  one  knee,  ofi'ers  drink  to  Jupiter  meta- 
morphosed into  an  eagle ;  he  holds  the  amphora  in  his  left  hand,  and 
with  the  left  presents  the  bowl. 

Rome,  1817.  The  Museum  has  the  plaster  model  and  a  repetition  in  marble. 
There  was  in  the  artist's  atelier,  in  1824,  another  repetition,  reduced,  in  marble 
(height,  1  ft.  0.59  in.).  Herr  Thiele  did  not  know  what  had  become  of  it.  We  think 
we  have  found  it  in  Paris,  in  the  possession  of  M.  Hottinguer.   ( See  p.  199.) 

Two  Caryatides. 

Marble.  On  each  side  of  the  throne  in  the  Palace  of  Christiansborg,  at  Copen- 
hagen.  Height,  6  ft.  11.85  in. 

These  two  figures  recall  the  caryatides  of  the  Erectheum.  One, 
holding  her  hand  against  her  breast,  is  clothed  in  a  Doric  tunic,  over 
which  is  a  goat's  skin :  she  personifies  the  people.  The  other  wears, 
over  an  Ionic  tunic,  a  peplum  fastened  at  the  shoulders  by  means  of 


CATALOGUE. 


273 


straps,  and  holds  in  her  right  hand  a  tress  of  her  own  hair :  she  rep- 
resents the  upper  class  of  society. 

Rome,  1813.  Ordered  by  a  committee  of  Poles,  in  accordance  with  a  vote  of  the 
PoUsh  Chambers,  June  26, 1812;  afterward  purchased  by  the  Danish  Grovernment. 
(See  p.  51.)   The  plaster  models  are  in  the  Museum. 

Hope.    (See  cut,  p.  3.) 

Statue;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  5  ft.  4.17  in; 

This  figure,  an  imitation  of  JEginetic  art,  is  made  to  conform  to 
the  semi-hieratic  type  adopted  at  that  epoch  to  represent  Hope.  The 
goddess  is  moving  slowly  forward,  with  perfectly  placid  countenance, 
holding  in  her  left  hand  the  skirt  of  her  long  tunic,  which  reaches  to 
the  ground,  and  in  her  right  a  flower  stripped  of  its  corolla,  and 
whose  seeds  are  ready  to  fall.  A  broad  diadem  encircles  her  head, 
and  her  hair  is  arranged  in  heavy  curls. 

Rome,  1817  and  1818.  (See  p.  2i)4.)  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum.  Two 
reproductions  in  marble,  slightly  reduced,  were  purchased  by  Count  WiUiam  von 
Humboldt.  One  was  placed  in  his  chateau  near  Tegel,  the  other  on  the  tomb  of  the 
Baroness,  in  the  garden  of  the  chateau.  There  is  a  plaster  cast  in  the  Museum  at 
Berlin,  and  a  copy  in  the  palace  of  Sans  Soucl. 

Hebe. 

Statue ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  5  ft.  2.59  in. 

The  young  girl  is  in  the  act  of  offering  with  her  left  hand  a  bowl 
filled  from  the  amphora  which  she  holds  in  her  right.  Her  double 
Doric  tunic  is  unfastened  at  the  right  shoulder,  leaving  the  right 
breast  exposed. 

Rome,  1806.   (See  pp.  42  and  204. ) 

Hebe.    (See  cut,  p.  207.) 

Statue;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Mr.  Alexander  Baring,  in  England.  Height, 
5  ft.  0.23  in. 

This  figure,  a  variation  from  the  preceding,  better  expresses  the 
mingled  grace  and  modesty  proper  to  the  young  goddess.  The  tunic 
is  fastened  at  the  shoulders,  and  covers  the  whole  bosom.  The  atti- 
tude is  the  same. 

Rome,  1816.  (See  pp.  56  and  204.)  The  Museum  has  a  repetition  in  marble  and 
the  plaster  model  retouched  by  the  artist.  It  was  also  copied  in  bronze,  gilt  (height, 
1ft.  0.59  in.),  for  Prince  Christian  Frederick,  afterward  King  of  Denmark, 


274 


WORKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


TiiK  Three  Graces.    (See  cut,  p.  139.) 

Group;  marble.  At  thecountrTj-seat  of  Herr  Donner,near  Altona.  Height,  5  ft. 
8.89  in 

The  figure  in  the  middle  stands  facing  to  the  front,  the  two  others 
are  seen  in  profile.  The  first  places  her  arms  around  her  two  sisters, 
who  in  their  turn  lean  upon  and  embrace  her.  The  one  on  the  spec- 
tator's right  carries  her  hand  with  an  affectionate  gesture  to  the  face 
of  the  first.  Cupid,  seated  on  the  ground,  is  playing  upon  the  lyre. 
Behind  the  group  is  a  vase,  over  which  are  thrown  the  garments  of 
the  three  sisters. 

Rome,  1817-19.  The  marble  is  unfortunately  veined.  (See  pp.  60  and  202.)  The 
plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum,  together  with  a  sketch  (height,  1  ft.  11.22  in.)  in  which 
the  attitudes  are  sHghtly  different.  The  Cupid  is  omitted  in  this  sketch,  and  in  his 
place  is  a  basket  of  flowers. 

The  Three  Graces. 

Group ;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  5  ft.  8.50  in. 

This  composition  is  a  variation  of  the  preceding.  The  attitudes 
are  difierent,  especially  in  the  two  figures  on  the  right  and  left.  One 
holds  up  an  arrow  which  the  other  touches  with  her  finger.  The 
latter  turns  more  to  the  front.  The  three  heads  are  also  difierently 
inclined,  and  the  positions  of  the  legs  are  not  the  same  as  in  the  first 
model. 

Rome,  1842.   The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum.   (See  pp.  60  and  202.) 

Cupid. 

statue;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  11.22  in. 

A  separate  repetition  of  the  Cupid  in  the  preceding  groups. 

Rome,  1819.  This  statue  has  been  many  times  cut  in  marble.  The  Museum  has  a 
plaster  cast  taken  from  the  original  model.   (See  p.  61.) 

Venus  Victrix. 

Statue  ;  marble.    Purchased  hij  the  Countess  Woronzoff.   Height,  2  ft.  7.49  in. 

Venus,  nude,  holding  in  her  right  hand  the  apple,  the  prize  Of 
beauty. 

Rome,  1805.  Also  cut  in  marble  for  Herr  von  Kopp,  at  Mietau,  Courland,  in  whose 
possession  this  copy  still  was  in  1821.   The  plaster  model  has  disappeared. 

Venus  Victrix. 

Statue ;  marble.   Purchased  by  Lord  Lucan,  in  England.   Height,  4  ft.  5.77  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


275 


The  goddess,  unclothed,  takes  up  her  garments  with  her  left  hand, 
and  in  her  right  holds  the  apple,  at  which  she  is  looking. 

Rome,  1813  to  1816.  Marble  copies  were  purchased  by  the  Duchess  of  Devonshire 
(at  Chatsworth),  and  Mr.  P.  C.  Labouchfere  (at  his  villa  near  Windsor).  (See  pp.  56 
and  201.)  Another  in  marble  is  in  the  Pitti  Palace,  Florence.  An  excellent  marble 
copy  and  the  plaster  model  are  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Another  plaster  is  in 
the  Louvre.    The  statue  may  also  be  seen  in  the  Museum  at  Berlin. 

Terpsichore  and  Euterpe. 

Statues ;  stucco.   Interior  of  the  Palace  of  Amalienhorg.  Height.  6  ft.  2.80  in. 
Terpsichore  is  playing  upon  the  tambourine ;  Euterpe  holds  a  flute 
in  each  hand. 

Copenhagen,  1794. 

Two  Muses. 

Statues;  stucco.  Great  staircase  of  the  Palace  of  Amalienhorg  {in  niches). 
Height,  6  ft.  0.44  in. 

These  two  figures  have  so  little  that  is  characteristic  that  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  say  which  of  the  Muses  they  represent.  The  attitudes  and 
draperies  are  wanting  in  style. 

Copenhagen,  1794. 

Peace. 

Group ;  plaster. 

The  goddess,  represented  as  winged,  stands  upon  a  globe,  holcftng 
a  caduceus  in  her  right  hand,  and  embracing  with  her  left  arm  the 
Genius  of  Plenty  and  Riches.  She  tramples  under  her  feet  the 
weapons  of  War. 

1798  to  1800.   This  group,  described  by  Herr  Thiele,  has  doubtless  been  destroyed. 

Melpomene. 

Statue;  sketch.   In  possession  of  Madame  Frederika  Brun.   Height,  2  ft.  5.92  in. 
The  Mase,  clothed  in  tunic  and  mantle,  holds  a  mace  in  her  right 
hand.    The  tragic  mask  lies  at  her  feet. 

Rome,  1800. 

Venus  crowning  the  Victorious  Mars. 

Group.  Disappeared. 
Rome,  1798. 

Venus  and  Cupid. 

Sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  10.04  in. 

The  goddess  is  seated,  and  seems  to  be  gently  reproving  her  son 


276 


WOEKS  OF  THORVALDSEm 


who  stands  leaning  against  her.  The  left  forearm  of  Cupid  is  miss- 
ing :  it  probably  held  an  arrow.    In  the  right  hand  is  a  bow. 

A  Muse  Triumphant. 

Group ;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  2  37  in. 

The  Muse,  crowned  with  laurel,  is  standing  in  a  chariot.  Her  left 
hand  rests  upon  a  sceptre,  her  right  holds  a  scroll.  Seated  on  the 
edge  of  the  car,  Cupid  holds  the  reins  and  guides  the  horses. 

Rome,  about  1827. 

A  Muse  Triumphant. 

Group;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  4  34  in. 

A  variation  of  the  preceding.  The  left  hand  of  the  Muse  holds 
the  scroll,  the  right  is  raised.  Cupid,  guiding  the  horses,  stands 
upon  the  pole  of  the  chariot. 

Rome,  about  1827. 

Victory. 

Statue;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1  ft.  8.47 in. 
The  goddess  is  standing  in  a  chariot,  and  firmly  holding  the  reins 
of  her  horses. 

This  sketch  served  as  a  model  for  the  colossal  Victory  which  now  surmounts  the 
fa9ade  of  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  The  statue  was  modelled  and  cast  in  bronze 
after  the  artist's  death. 

A  Sibyl. 

Statue  ;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1  ft.  7.29  in. 

The  Erythrtean  Sibyl  (the  letters  ryth  are  traced  on  the  pedestal) 
leans  upon  a  tripod,  and  holds  in  her  left  hand  a  scroll  half  opened. 
Ill  her  other  hand  is  a  stylus.  Her  drapery  is  ample,  and  her  head 
is  covered. 

It  had  been  the  intention  to  place  two  figures  of  Sibyls,  this  and  the  one  following, 
together  with  two  Old  Testament  prophets,  in  the  niches  of  the  portico  of  the  Frue 
JCirke,  in  Copenhagen,  as  showing  that  the  coming  of  Christ  was  predicted  by  pagans 
as  well  as  by  Jews.    (Miiller.)   The  project  was  abandoned. 

A  Sibyl. 

Statue  ;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1  ft.  7.68  in. 

The  figure  is  standing:  judging  by  the  position  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  arms,  the  forearms,  which  are  missing,  were  to  have  been 
raised.  The  head  is  covered,  and  an  ample  cloak  envelops  the 
shoulders.  On  the  remains  of  the  pedestal  arc  found  the  letters  ma, 
irom  which  it  is  supposed  that  the  artist  intended  to  represent  the 
Sibyl  of  Cumae. 


CATALOGUE. 


277 


II. 

BAS-EELIEFS. 

§  1. — 3Ii/tJiological  Subjects. 
Vulcan  forging  Arrows  for  Cupid.    (See  cut,  p.  84.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Mr.  Baillie  for  Mr.  P.  C.  Labouchere ;  now  in 
the  x>ossession  of  Mr.  Henry  Labouchere  {Lord  Taunton),  QuantocJc  Castle,  near 
Lridgewater,  England.   Height,  2  ft.  5.92  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  3.57  in. 

Vulcan  is  forging  tlie  arrows.  Venus  is  sitting  in  front  of  him, 
dipping  their  points  into  honey  with  which  her  son  has  miugied  gall. 
Cupid  has  got  possession  of  the  spear  of  Mars.  The  god  of  war 
has  taken  up  one  of  the  arrows,  and  examines  it  with  disdain. 

Rome,  1814-15.  Subject  taken  from  the  forty-fifth  ode  of  Anacreon.  (See  p.  213.) 
The  Thorvaldsen  Museum  has  two  plasters;  the  model  and  a  repetition,  varied,  in 
■which  Mars  holds  with  his  left  hand  the  drapery  thrown  over  his  right  shoulder. 

Dance  of  the  Muses  on  Mount  Helicon. 

Bas-reUef ;  marble.  Purchased  by  the  Baron  von  Schubart,  for  his  villa  at  Mon- 
tenero,  near  Leghorn.   Height,  2  ft.  5.13  in. ;  length,  5  ft.  4.17  in. 

On  the  left  is  Apollo,  seated  upon  a  rock  and  playing  upon  the 
harp.  The  Nine  Muses  dance  around  the  Three  Graces,  each  Muse 
maintaining  her  distinctive  character.  In  the  background  is  a  swan. 

First  modelled  in  1804  at  Montenero  (see  p.  .34) ;  cut  in  marble  in  1807.  In  1816, 
Thorvaldsen  took  up  the  subject  again,  and  made  several  modifications  :  the  heads 
of  Apollo  and  Thaha  are  difi^erent,  and  the  swan  is  swimming  in  the  foreground. 
The  Musciun  has  a  marble  copy,  and  the  plaster  model  of  this  variation. 

The  Procession  to  Parnassus. 

Bas-rehef;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  1.98  in.;  length,  IG  ft. 
4.85  in. 

Apollo  is  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  Pegasus,  and  driven  by  a  Genius 
bearing  a  torch.  The  Graces  advance  dancing,  guided  by  Love  by 
means  of  wreaths  of  roses.  Another  Cupid  hovers  above  the  three 
sisters,  strewing  flowers  in  their  path.  Next  come  the  aMuses  :  first 
Clio,  Euterpe,  Thalia,  and  Melpomene ;  then  Terpsichore  and  Erato, 
dancing  to  the  music  of  a  lyre  played  by  a  Cupid ;  then  Polymnia 
with  pensive  step,  Urania  turning  round  to  watch  the  stars,  and  Cal- 


2/8 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


liope  writing.  Mnemosyne  brings  up  the  rear  of  the  Muses,  accom- 
panied by  Harpocrates ;  beliind  them  tlie  Genius  of  Poetry,  bearing 
a  wreath  of  laurel  and  a  palm-branch,  guides  the  steps  of  Homer. 
The  blind  poet  is  singing,  and  accompanying  himself  upon  the  harp. 

Rome,  1S32.  It  was  Thorvaldsen's  intention  to  represent  the  jjrocession  of  all  the 
poets  in  an  extended  frieze,  of  which  this  was  only  the  first  section.  (MUIler.) 

Night.    (See  cut,  p.  40.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Lord  Lucan.  Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft. 
7,10  in. 

The  goddess,  her  head  bound  round  with  poppies,  wings  her  way 
through  space  bearing  in  her  arms  her  two  children,  Death  and 
Sleep.    The  owl  accompanies  her. 

Rome,  1815.  Often  repeated  in  marble.  The  Museum  has  a  copy  in  marble  and 
the  plaster  model .   ( See  p .  54 . ) 

Morning.    (See  cut,  p.  22.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Lord  Toucan.  Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft. 
7.10  in. 

The  young  Aurora  flies  through  the  air  scattering  flowers  from 
both  hands.  A  Genius  rests  upon  her  shoulder,  holding  an  uplifted 
torch. 

Copenhagen,  1815.  Often  repeated  as  a  companion  to  the  Night.  The  Museum 
has  a  copy  as  well  as  the  plaster  model.  There  are  also  many  half-size  repetitions  in 
marble  of  Night  and  Morning.   (See  p.  54.) 

The  Ages  of  Love. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Mr.  P.  C.  Labouchere,  now  in  possession  of 
Ms  son.   Height,  1  ft.  8.07  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  11.05  in. 

Psyche,  seated  beside  a  cage  containing  little  Loves,  deals  them 
out  to  all  who  apply.  A  child  innocently  approaches  to  play  with 
them,  a  little  girl  is  half  afraid  to  caress  them ;  another,  older,  kneels 
in  adoration  before  the  Love  Psyche  is  giving  her;  behind  her,  a 
young  woman  is  passionately  kissing  the  one  she  has  received. 
Another  woman,  bearing  in  her  bosom  the  fruit  of  love,  holds  by 
the  wings  the  little  god,  who  seems  to  be  fast  asleep.  Love  alights 
triumphant  on  the  shoulders  of  a  man  who  seems  unable  to  bear  sg 
heavy  a  burden ;  and  farther  on  he  flies  away  laughing  from  on  old 
man,  who  stretches  toward  him  his  trembling  hands. 

Rome,  1824.  The  plaster  model  and  a  repetition  in  marble  are  in  the  Museum. 
Herr  Donner  has  at  his  villa,  near  Altona,  a  marble  vase  upon  which  the  artist  haa 
sculptured  this  composition.   (See  pp.  100  and  216.) 


CATALOGUE. 


279 


The  Shepherdess  with  a  Nest  of  Loves.    (See  cut,  p.  62.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  0.01  in. ;  -width,  1  ft. 
11.22  in. 

In  this  graceful  composition  the  different  kinds  of  love  are  repre- 
sented. The  shepherdess  is  seated,  holding  the  nest  in  her  lap  :  one 
of  the  Loves  is  not  yet  awake ;  faithful  Love  caresses  the  dog ;  hope- 
ful Love  reclines  his  head  upon  the  arm  of  the  shepherdess ;  two 
others  are  passionately  kissing  each  other;  fickle  Love  is  flying 
away,  and  the  young  girl  in  vain  stretches  her  arm  toward  him. 

Rome,  1831.  Suggested  by  a  painting  found  at  Pompeii,  representing,  probably, 
Leda  with  Castor,  Pollux,  and  Helen.  (See  p.  216.)  The  plaster  model  is  also  in 
the  Museum.   A  copy  in  marble  was  purchased  by  the  king  of  Wiirtemberg. 

CUPLD  AND  AnaCREON. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  the  Count  von  Schdnborn.  Height,  1  ft.  8.07 
in. ;  length,  2  ft.  3.95  in. 

Anacreon  seated  upon  his  couch  is  wiping  the  moisture  from  the 
little  god,  who  stands  before  him,  while  Cupid  thrusts  an  arrow  into 
the  poet's  heart. 

Rome,  1823.  The  subject  is  taken  from  the  third  ode  of  Anacreon.  (See  p.  214.) 
A  copy  in  marble  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hope.  The  Museum  has  the  plaster 
model,  and  a  repetition  in  marble  of  Paros. 

Cupid  and  Anacreon.    (See  cut,  p.  138.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  9.2.5  in.;  length,  3  ft. 
0.22  in. 

A  repetition,  varied,  of  the  above.  The  left  leg  of  the  poet  is 
stretched  out  upon  his  couch. 

Placed  in  a  sort  of  arched  recess  as  a  companion  to  the  Cupid  and  Bacchus. 

Cupid  and  Bacchus. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Herr  Knudzon,  of  Trondhjcm.  Height,  1  ft. 
8.86  in. ;  length,  2  ft.  3.95  in. 

Bacchus  reclining  upon  a  goat's  skin  offers  a  cup  to  Cupid,  who 
drinks.  On  the  left  lie  Cupid's  arrows ;  on  the  right,  a  panther  is 
licking  the  vase  which  holds  the  wine. 

Rome,  1810.   The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  and  Bacchus.    (See  cut,  p.  267.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  9,65  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
11.43  m. 


280 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


A  variation  of  the  preceding  composition.  The  panther  is  reclin- 
ing on  the  right,  while  on  the  left  the  cist  of  Bacchus  stands  beside 
Cupid's  bow. 

Rome,  sometime  after  the  foregoing.  The  upper  part  is  arched  like  the  second 
model  of  Cupid  and  Anacreon.    The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid,  Bacchus,  and  Bathyllus. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Count  von  Schonhorn.  Height,  1  ft.  8.07  in.; 
length,  2  ft.  2.37  in. 

Bacchus  and  Cupid  have  climbed  upon  a  wine-vat,  and  are  dancing 
and  pressing  the  grapes  with  their  feet.  Bathyllus  is  bringing  fresh 
clusters,  and  pouring  them  into  the  vat. 

Rome,  1811.  The  subject  is  taken  from  the  seventeenth  ode  of  Anacreon.  The 
Museum  has  a  repetition  in  marble  and  the  plaster  model. 

Cupid  leaving  Psyche  asleep. 

Bas-reUef;  plaster.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  8.47  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
0.40  in. 

Whilst  Psyche  is  sleeping,  Cupid  silently  departs. 
Nysoe,  1841. 

Psyche  contemplating  Cupid. 

Bas-rehef;  plaster.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  8.47  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

The  young  girl  approaches  the  couch  where  Cupid  is  reposing : 
she  holds  the  lamp  raised  above  the  head  of  the  god  and  pauses  in 
an  attitude  of  surprise. 

Nysoe,  1841. 

Cupid  reviving  the  Fainting  Psyche.    (See  cut,  p.  116.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  M.Dalmar.  Height,  1  ft.  10.83  in.;  length, 
3  ft.  0.22  in. 

Psyche,  having  opened  the  vase  which  she  brought  back  from  the 
infernal  regions  and  said  to  contain  the  perfume  of  beauty,  has  fallen 
fainting.  Cupid  hastens  to  remove  the  noxious  odor,  at  the  same 
time  seizing  an  arrow  with  which  to  touch  Psyche  and  thus  bring 
her  back  to  life. 

Rome,  1810.  The  Museum  has  a  copy  in  marble,  and  the  plaster  model  (height, 
1  ft.  7.29  in.;  length,  2  ft.  7.49  in.). 

The  Four  Elements. 

Four  bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height  of  each,  1  ft.  7.29  iu.: 
length,  1  ft.  11.62  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


1.  Love,  ruler  of  heaven.  Armed  with  the  thunderbolt  of  Jupiter, 
he  is  borne  aloft  by  the  eagle. 

2.  Love,  ruler  of  earth.  Armed  with  the  club  of  Hercules,  he  leads 
by  the  mane  a  lion  which  licks  his  feet. 

3.  Love,  ruler  of  the  seas.  Borne  on  the  back  of  a  dolphin,  the 
god  holds  in  his  hand  the  trident  of  Neptune. 

4.  Love,  ruler  of  the  under-world.  He  is  driving  Cerberus  with  his 
bow,  and  has  seized  the  bident  of  Pluto. 

Rome.  1828.  Often  repeated  in  marble.  The  Museum  has  also  the  plaster  models  : 
two  variations  of  Love,  ruler  of  heaven  (height,  1  ft.  9.65  in  ;  length,  2  ft.  1.98  in.), 
in  which  the  god  bestrides  the  eagle,  and  a  sketch  of  Love,  ruler  of  earth,  in  which 
he  carries  the  club  and  brandishes  an  arrow  (height,  1  ft.  5.32  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
1.19  in.). 

Cupid  taming  the  Lion. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Prince  Malte  Putbus,  of  Rugen.  Height,  1  ft. 
4.14  in. ;  length,  1  ft.  6  50  in. 

Cupid  mounted  on  the  lion  seizes  him  by  the  mane  and  goads  him 
with  an  arrow. 

Rome,  1809.   The  sketch  in  plaster  is  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  taming  the  Lion. 

Bas-relief;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1ft.  11.22  in.:  length,  2  ft. 

I.  98  in. 

A  variation  of  the  preceding  subject.  Cupid  mounted  on  the  lion 
is  letting  fly  an  arrow. 

Rome,  1831.   The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  and  Hymen  spinning  the  Thread  of  Llfi:. 

Bas-relief;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  7.29  in,;  length,  t  ft, 

II.  22  in. 

Cupid  holds  the  distaflf  and  spins,  while  Hymen,  kneeling,  twirls 
the  spindle. 

Rome,  1831.  Subject  taken  from  Theocritus.  The  Museum  has  also  the  plaster 
modeL 

Cupid  and  Hymen. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  6.31  in.;  width,  2  ft. 
0.40  in. 

Cupid  and  Hymen  are  represented  flying :  the  former  is  shooting 
an  arrow,  the  latter  lighting  his  torches. 


282  WOEKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


Nysoe,  184D.  Composed  to  serve  as  a  model  for  the  medal  struck  on  the  occasion 
of  the  marriage  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles  Christian  and  Princess  Caroline  of 
Mecklenburg-Strelitz . 

Cupm  AND  Ganymede. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  4.92  in. ;  length,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

Cupid  and  Ganymede  are  seated  facing  each  other,  playing  at  dice 
to  decide  which  is  the  handsomer.  Ganymede  has  made  the  best 
throw ;  but  Cupid,  pointing  to  himself,  declares  that  in  spite  of  that 
he  will  always  come  off  conqueror. 

Borne,  18.31.  From  a  passage  in  Simonides  indicated  by  the  poet  Ricci. 

Cupid  making  a  Net. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,!  ft.  3.74  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
0.01  in. 

The  soul,  represented  under  the  form  of  a  butterfly,  has  just  been 
caught  in  the  net. 

Rome,  1831.   Subject  furnished  by  Ricci.   The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museiun. 

Cupid  and  the  Dog. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  3.74  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
0.01  in. 

Cupid  caressing  the  faithful  dog. 

Rome,  1831.   Suggested  by  Ricci.   The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  gathering  Shells. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  3.35  in. ;  length,  1  ft. 
8.86  in. 

Cupid  hovers  above  the  shore. 

Rome,  1831.   A  sketch,  suggested  by  the  poet  Ricci. 

Cupid  majong  Flowers  grow. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,!  ft.  2.96  in.;  length,  1  ft. 
8.8G  in. 

Cupid,  touching  the  earth  with  his  arrow,  makes  flowers  spnug 
from  a  stony  soil. 

Rome,  1831.   A  sketch  ;  subject  given  by  Ricci, 

Cupid  writing  the  Laws  op  Jupiter. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  6.50  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
3.16  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


283 


The  king  of  gods  is  seated  upon  his  throne  ;  while  the  god  of  love, 
standing,  writes  with  the  point  of  his  arrow. 

Rome,  1831.   Suggested  by  Ricci.    The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  and  the  Rose. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  1.77  in.;  length,!  ft. 
11.22  in. 

Cupid  presents  the  rose  to  Jupiter  and  Juno,  and  begs  them  to 
make  her  queen  of  the  flowers. 

Rome,  1831.   Suggested  by  Ricci.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Cupid  setting  Fire  to  a  Rock. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3.95  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
8.47  in. 

The  god,  armed  with  a  torch,  sets  fire  to  the  walls  of  a  cavern. 

Rome,  1831.   Suggested  by  Ricci. 

Cupid  with  Roses  and  Thistles. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  3.16  in.;  width,  2  ft. 

I.  19  in. 

Love,  seated,  ofifers  roses  with  the  right  hand,  and  conceals  behind 
him  the  thistles  which  he  holds  in  his  left. 

Rome,  1837.   The  Museum  has  a  repetition  (varied)  in  plaster  (height,  1  ft. 

II.  22  in. ;  width,  1  ft.  5.71  in.),  in  which  Cupid  is  standing. 

Cupid  sailing. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  11.02  in. ;  length,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 

Love  holds  the  sail  in  one  hand ;  in  the  other,  his  bow  which  serves 
him  as  a  rudder.  The  mast  of  the  boat  is  entwined  with  a  wreath 
of  roses. 

Rome,  1831.  The  Museum  has  a  variation  in  plaster  (height,  1  ft.  5.71  in. ;  length, 
2  ft.  1.19  in.),  in  which  Cupid  is  standing,  resting  upon  the  right  knee,  and  the  gar- 
land of  roses  is  omitted. 

Cupid  caressing  a  Swan. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Count  von  Schdnborn.  Height,  1  ft.  9.25  in.; 
length,  2  ft.  1.98  in. 

Cupid  holds  the  swan  by  the  neck,  while  two  young  boys  are  gath- 
ering fruit  which  they  place  in  a  basket. 

Rome,  1811.  It  has  sometimes  been  repeated  under  the  title  Summer  to  serve  as 
a  companion  to  Cupid,  Bacchus,  and  Bathyllus,  representing  Autumn.   To  continue 


284 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


the  series,  Cupid  and  Anacreon  might  represent  Winter ;  but  there  is  no  analogous 
composition  emhlematic  of  Spring.  The  Museum  has  a  copy  in  marble  and  the  plas- 
ter model. 

Cupid  upon  a  Swan. 

Bas-relief ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion  :  diameter,  2  ft.  8.28  in. 

Jupiter,  metamorphosed  into  a  swan  in  order  to  seduce  Leda, 
alights  in  the  water  bearing  Cupid  upon  his  back. 
Nysoe,  1840. 

Cupid  upon  a  Swan. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  11.62  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
3.16  in. 

Jupiter,  as  the  swan,  swims  toward  Leda ;  Cupid,  kneeling  on  his 
back,  lets  fly  an  arrow. 

Nysoe,  1840. 

Jupiter,  Cupid,  and  Leda. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3.16  in.;  length,  3  ft. 
3.37  in. 

Leda,  kneeling,  caresses  the  swan ;  Cupid  flies  away,  taking  with 
him  Jupiter's  thunderbolt. 

Bears  the  inscription  :  Nysoe,  3  Feb.  1841. 

Cupid  stung  by  a  Bee. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Prince  Malte  Putbus.  Height,  1  ft.  7.29  in. ; 
length,  1  ft.  9.65  in. 

The  child  Cupid  has  been  stung  by  a  bee  while  plucking  a  rose ;  he 
complains,  weeping,  to  his  mother. 

Rome,  1S09.  Subject  taken  from  the  fortieth  ode  of  Anacreon.  (See  p. 213.)  The 
Museum  has  a  copy  in  marble  and  the  plaster  model  of  a  variation  (height,  2  ft. 
2.77  in. ;  length,  2  ft.  0.40  in.),  the  upper  part  arched. 

Cupid  chained  by  the  Graces. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  3.74  in. ;  length.  2  ft. 
4.74  in. 

Cupid  is  bound  to  two  trees  by  chains  of  roses.  The  Graces  are 
reclining  near  him.  One  of  them  has  taken  one  of  his  arrows,  and 
another  is  feeling  its  point,  while  the  third  holds  the  end  of  the 
chain. 

Rome,  1831.  Subject  taken  from  the  thirtieth  ode  of  Anacreon.  ( See  p.  215.)  The 
plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum. 


CATALOGUE. 


285 


Jupiter,  Minerva,  and  Nemesis. 

Bas-relief;  terra  cotta.  Pediment  of  the  Palace  of  Chrisiiansborg,  Copenhagen. 
Colossal. 

The  sovereign  of  the  gods,  sceptre  in  hand,  is  seated  upon  his 
throne.  The  two  goddesses,  surrounded  by  their  attributes,  stand 
on  his  right  and  left.  At  the  two  extremities  of  the  pediment  are 
Tellus  with  a  goat  and  Oceanus  with  dolphins.  The  signs  of  tlie 
zodiac  are  represented  on  the  step  of  the  throne. 

Rome,  1808.  The  plaster  model  (height,  3  ft,  9.66  in. ;  length,  14  ft.  9.16  in.)  is  in 
the  Museum.  The  terra  cotta  was  not  executed  until  after  the  artist's  death  by  M. 
G.  Borup,  and  was  placed  in  the  pediment  in  1847. 

Hercules  and  Hebe  (Strength). 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Faqade  of  the  Palace  of  Christiansborg .  Medallion:  diam- 
eter, 4  ft.  11.05  in. 

The  goddess  of  youth,  standing,  pours  nectar  into  the  bowl  held 
by  Hercules,  who  is  seated  upon  a  lion's  skin,  his  right  hand  resting 
upon  his  club. 

Rome,  1808-1810 ;  placed  on  the  fagade  of  the  palace,  together  with  the  three  fol- 
lowing medallions,  in  1825.  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum.  At  the  country- 
seat  of  Count  von  fc-'chonborn,  near  Geibach,  Bavaria,  are  marble  copies  of  the  four 
medallions  originally  ordered  by  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg,  who  died  before  they 
were  finished.  The  Museum  has  also  reduced  copies  in  marble;  diameter,  2  ft. 
8.67  in. 

Hygeia  and  ^sculapius  {Health). 

Bas-relief ;  marble.  Faqade  of  Palace  of  Christiansborg,  Medallion  :  diameter, 
4  ft.  11.05  in. 

iEsculapius  is  seated.  Hygeia  is  feeding  a  serpent  which  twines 
around  his  staff. 

Rome,  1808-1810.  The  plaster  model  and  a  reduced  copy  in  marble  are  in  the 
Museum. 

Minerva  and  Prometheus  (Wisdom). 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Faqade,  Palace  of  Christiansborg.  Medallion :  diameter, 
4  ft.  11.05  in. 

Prometheus  having  formed  a  man  out  of  clay,  Minerva  gives  him 
a  soul,  represented  by  a  butterfly  which  she  places  upon  his  head. 
Rome,  1808-1810.   (  Vide  supra.) 

Nemesis  and  Jupiter  (Justice). 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Faqade,  Palace  of  Christiansborg.  Medallion:  diameter, 
4  ft.  11.05  in. 


286 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEJSr. 


The  goddess,  standing,  one  foot  on  the  wheel  of  Fortune,  reads  to 
the  sovereign  of  the  world  the  actions  of  men.  Jupiter,  seated  upon 
his  throne,  holds  his  avenging  thunderbolt.  Beside  him  is  the  eagle. 

Rome,  1808-1810.   (  Vide  supra.) 

Hygeia  and  Cupid. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  8.28  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
11.22  in. 

Cupid  offers  food  in  a  bowl  to  the  serpent  twined  around  the  arm 
of  the  goddess,  who  is  standing. 

Rome,  1837.   The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum. 

Hygeia  and  Cupid. 

Bas-relief ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  0.01  in. ;  length,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

Variation  of  the  above.  Cupid  is  crowning  the  goddess  of  health, 
who  is  seated  and  feeding  the  serpent. 

Executed  in  honor  of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  marriage  of  King  Chris- 
tian VIII  and  of  Queen  Caroline  Amelia.   Signed :  Nysoe,  24  April,  1840. 

Minerva. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion:  diameter,  2  ft.  1.59  in. 

The  goddess  is  flying,  having  the  owl  beside  her,  and  bearing  her 
lance  and  shield. 

Rome,  about  1836. 

Apollo. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.   Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Medallion  :  diameter,  2  ft.  1.98  in. 
The  god  is  flying,  bearing  the  lyre  and  plectrum. 

Rome,  about  1836. 

Pegasus. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft.  2.77  in. 

A  genius  bearing  a  torch  and  garlands  is  leading  the  winged  steed. 

Rome,  about  1836. 

The  Muses. 

Nine  bas-reliefs ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Diameter  of  medaUions,  2  ft. 
1.59  in. 

The  nine  sisters  hover  in  the  air,  each  bearing  her  attributes. 

Rome,  about  1836. 


CATALOGUE. 


287 


Mnemosyne  and  Harpocrates. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft.  1.59  in. 
The  mother  of  the  Muses,  in  a  pensive  attitude,  raises  her  hand  to 
her  face.    Harpocrates  places  his  finger  upon  his  lips. 

Rome,  about  1836. 

The  Graces. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft.  1.59  in. 
The  three  sisters,  hovering  in  air,  tenderly  embrace  each  other. 

Rome,  about  1836. 

The  Graces. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum,  Height,  2  ft.  1.19  in.;  width,  1  ft, 
10.44  in. 

The  three  sisters  are  dancing,  with  arms  intertwined. 

Thalia  and  Melpomene. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter  of  medallion,  2  ft.  6.31  in. 
Melpomene  holds  the  tragic  mask  and  the  mace ;  Thalia,  the  comic 
mask  and  shepherd's  crook. 
Nysoe,  1843. 

Erato  and  Cupid. 

Bas-relief;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum,  Diameter  of  medallion,  1  ft.  11.22  in. 
Cupid  leans  on  the  shoulder  of  the  Muse,  who  is  seated  and  turns 
toward  him,  singing  and  playing  upon  the  lyre. 

Rome,  1830.  Originally  intended  for  the  pedestal  of  the  statue  of  Byron.  Often 
repeated  in  marble. 

Mercury  bearing  the  Infant  Bacchus  to  Ino. 

Bas-relief ;  marble.  Purchased  by  Prince  Malte  Putbus,  of  Ritgen.  Height,  1  ft. 
7.68  in. ;  length,  same. 

Bacchus  Stretches  out  his  arms  to  his  mother's  sister,  who  is  to  be 
his  nurse. 

Rome,  1809.  Plaster  model  in  the  Museum.  Was  repeated,  of  larger  size  (height, 
2  ft.  4.74  in. ;  length,  2  ft.  5.13  in.),  in  marble,  for  Lord  Lucan.  The  plaster  model 
of  this  repetition  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

Jupiter  and  Diana. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  4.74  in.;  length,  2  fl. 
8.2s  in. 


288 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


The  artist  has  represented  the  goddess  at  the  moment  when  she 
entreats  Jupiter  to  allow  her  to  remain  a  virgin. 

Modelled  for  the  birthday  of  the  Baroness  von  Stampe.  Signed :  Nysoe,  20  April, 
1840. 

The  Birth  of  Aphrodite. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Prince  Malte  Putbus,  of  Riigen.  Height,  1  ft. 
4.92  in. ;  width,  1  ft.  3.35  in. 

The  daughter  of  the  salt  sea  is  borne  to  the  shore  in  an  open  shell, 
supported  by  two  dolphins. 

Rome,  1809.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Apollo  among  the  Shepherds. 

Bas-relief;  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  0.59  in.;  length,  5  ft. 
10.86  in. 

Apollo  is  playing  upon  the  harp,  surrounded  by  Thessalian  shep- 
herds. Pan  appears  on  the  left,  half  hidden  by  a  rock.  On  each 
side  are  sheep  feeding. 

Rome,  1837.  Executed  in  marble  by  Galli  for  the  villa  of  Signer  Torlonia  at 
Castel-Gondolfo. 

A  Young  Bacchante  with  a  Bird. 

Bas-relief;  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  7.29  in.;  length,  1  ft. 
6.11  in. 

The  young  girl,  nude,  is  seated  upon  a  couch  covered  with  the  skin 
of  a  panther.  The  amphora,  the  thyrsus,  and  the  tambourine  are 
beside  her.  She  raises  her  hand  to  play  with  a  bird  perched  upon 
her  finger. 

Rome,  1838. 

Hebe  and  Ganymede. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.    Height,  1  ft,  6.89  in. ;  width,  same. 

The  young  girl  delivers  to  the  new  cup-bearer  to  the  gods  the  vase 
and  the  cup.    The  eagle  is  placed  between  Hebe  and  Ganymede. 

Rome,  1833. 

The  Rape  of  Ganymede. 
Bas-relief;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  9.05  in. ;  width,  7.08  in. 
The  young  man  passes  his  right  arm  around  the  neck  of  the  eagle, 
and  with  his  left  seizes  the  bird's  wing. 
Rome,  1833. 

The  Rape  of  Ganymede. 
Bas-reUef;  sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  1  ft.  1.77  in.;  length,  1  ft. 
6.89  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


289 


In  this  variation  the  eagle  soars  perpendicularly.  Ganymede's 
position  is  nearly  the  same. 
Rome,  1833  probably. 

Victory. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  8.28  in. ;  "width,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

This  goddess,  seated  upon  a  suit  of  armor,  with  one  foot  resting 
on  a  helmet,  is  inscribing  upon  a  shield  the  exploits  of  a  warrior. 

Rome,  about  1830.  Originally  intended  to  ornament  the  pedestal  of  the  statue  of 
Prince  Potocki,  but  replaced,  at  the  request  of  the  family,  by  the  bas-relief  of  The 
Angel  of  Death.  This  victory  seems  to  have  been  cut  in  marble  for  the  pedestal  of 
the  bust  of  Napoleon  I  purchased  by  Mr.  Murray.  The  plaster  model  is  in  the 
Museum. 

Victory. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  2.97  in.;  width,  2  ft, 
3.95  in. 

This  figure  is  seated ;  beside  her  are  a  helmet  and  sword. 

Rome,  about  1830. 

Victory. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  11.43  in. ;  width,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

The  goddess  is  standing;  the  right  hand,  which  holds  a  palin- 
branch,  rests  upon  the  shield ;  the  left  hand  holds  a  lance ;  a  wreath 
hangs  from  her  arm. 

Rome,  about  1830. 

Victory. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  1.79  in.;  width,  -  ft. 
1.98  in. 

A  variation  of  the  above.  The  figure,  which  faces  to  the  front, 
stands  in  a  niche. 

Rome,  about  1830. 

The  Fates. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  4  ft.  5  14  in. ;  length,  6  ft. 
1.52  in. 

Clotho,  on  the  left,  holds  the  distaft';  on  the  right  Lachesis  winds 
the  thread  upon  the  spindle.  Atropos,  in  the  middle,  is  armed  with 
the  shears  and  holds  the  hour-glass ;  beside  her  the  Genius  of  Life 
holds  a  lighted  torch.    The  owl  hovers  above  the  shears. 

Rome,  1S33.   The  plaster  model,  of  smaller  dimensions,  is  also  in  the  Museum, 


290 


WOBKS  OF  THORVALDSEN. 


Mercuky  bearing  away  Psyche. 

Bas-reli3f;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter  of  medallion,  1  ft.  11.62  in. 
The  messenger  of  the  gods  bears  away  the  young  girl  toward 
Olympus. 

The  Myth  of  Cupid  and  Psyche. 

Series  of  sixteen  bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Villa  Torlonia.  Oval  medallions :  height, 
11.02  in.;  width,  9.05  in. 

1.  Venus,  jealous  of  the  beauty  of  Psyche,  begs  her  son  to  inspire 
her  with  an  ardent  passion  for  the  vilest  of  mankind. 

2.  Cupid  approaches  to  wound  the  sleeping  Psyche  with  his 
arrows,  but  pauses,  struck  with  the  young  girl's  beaut3^ 

3.  The  father  of  Psyche  consults  the  oracle. 

4.  Zephyr  goes  to  look  for  Psyche  upon  the  mountain,  where  she 
had  been  exposed,  and  brings  her  back  in  his  arms. 

5.  Cupid  extinguishes  the  lamp,  and  softly  approaches  the  couch 
where  Psyche  is  l  eposing. 

6.  Cupid  leaves  the  couch  and  steals  softly  away,  while  Psyche  is 
.still  sleeping, 

7.  The  sisters  of  Psyche  persuade  her  that  her  unknown  lover 
can  be  none  other  than  the  monster  predicted  by  the  oracle,  and  that 
t.he  ought  to  kill  him. 

8.  Cupid,  awakened  by  a  drop  of  oil  falling  from  the  lamp,  starts- 
up  indignant ;  Psyche  clings,  supplicating,  to  the  knees  Of  the  god. 

9.  Pan  gives  Psyche  advice, 

10.  Venus  orders  Psyche  to  bring  her  water  from  the  Styx.  . 

11.  The  eagle  brings  the  water  of  the  Styx  to  Psyche. 

12.  Psyche  presents  herself  to  enter  the  bark  of  Charon. 

13.  Psyche  offers  a  cake  of  honey  to  Cerberus. 

14.  Psyche,  having  opened  the  vase  given  her  by  Proserpine,  falls, 
fainting.    Cupid  comes  to  her  aid. 

15.  Mercury  bears  Psyche  to  Olympus. 

16.  Cupid  embraces  Psyche,  who  holds  the  cup  of  immortality. 
All  these  bas-reliefs,  the  subjects  of  which  are  taken  from  the  Metimiorphoscs  of 

Apuleius,  IV  to  VI,  were  modelled  at  Uome  by  V.  Galli,  from  Thorvaldsen's  designs. 
The  plaster  models  are  in  the  Museum. 

Cupid  and  Psyche. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2ft.  5.13  in.;  width,  2  ft. 
1.5 1  in. 

Psyche,  as  a  young  girl,  is  caught  in  her  flight  by  the  boy  Cupid, 


CATALOGUE. 


291 


who  throws  his  arm  around  her  neck.  Psyche  turns  around  and  her 
lips  meet  those  of  Cupid. 

Nysoe,  1840. 

Cupid  and  Psyche. 

Bas-relief;  marble.   At  the  Chateau  of  Nijsde.   Height,  8.26  in. ;  length,  9.44  in. 

The  children,  Cupid  and  Psyche,  embrace  each  other  as  they  fly. 

Thorvaldsen  modelled  this  bas-relief  as  a  parting  gift  to  his  friends  on  leaving  them 
to  return  to  Rome.  It  has  been  called  the  '•  Farewell  to  Nysoe."  The  plaster  model 
in  the  Museum  bears  the  inscription  :  Nysiie,  24  May,  1841.  The  marble  was  cut  in 
Rome. 

Cupid  playing  on  the  Lyre. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.    Medallion:  diameter,  3  ft.  1.79  in. 
Cupid  is  flying :  he  sings,  and  accompanies  himself  on  the  lyre. 
Beneath  him  a  swan  is  swimming. 

Nysoe,  1843  Thorvaldsen  named  this  composition  "  The  Swan-song  of  Cupid." 
It  was,  in  fact,  his  last  work  relating  to  the  story  of  Cupid. 

Hymen. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  .}ruseum.    Medallion  :  diameter,  2  ft.  9  46  in. 

Hymen  is  flying,  bearing  a  lighted  torch  in  each  hand.  Below  him 
are  two  doves. 

Nysoe,  1843. 

Figures  from  Antique  Fable. 

Twenty-two  oval  medallions.  Villa  Torlonia  at  Castel-Gondolfo.  Height,  1  ft. 
1  G8  in  ;  width,  9.84  in. 

1.  Latona,  flying  from  the  serpent  Python,  and  bearing  in  her 
arms  Apollo  and  Diana. 

2.  Diana  with  her  hind. 

3.  Diana,  bathing,  surprised  by  Actseon. 

4.  ActsDon,  changed  into  a  stag,  is  devoured  by  his  dogs. 

5.  Diana  letting  fly  an  arrow. 

C.  Orion  falls,  struclc  by  Diana's  arrow. 

7.  Daidalion,  changed  into  a  falcon,  flies  toward  his  daughter 
Chionc,  slain  by  Diana  with  an  arrow. 

8.  Cupid  conducts  Diana  to  Endymion. 

9.  Endymion  asleep  on  Mount  Latmos. 

10.  One  of  Diana's  nymphs  polishing  the  bow  of  the  goddess. 

11.  Another  nymph  examines  the  points  of  Diana's  arrows. 

12.  A  nymph  is  cleaning  the  quiver  of  Diana,  while  another  young 
girl  by  her  side  holds  the  arrows. 


292 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


13.  A  huntress  Dymph,  bearing  a  torch  and  a  spear,  and  accompa- 
nied by  a  dog. 

14.  Another  huntress,  bearing  a  hare  and  birds  which  she  has 
killed. 

15.  Callisto,  the  nymph  beloved  by  Jupiter,  leans  her  head  sadly 
upon  her  hand. 

16.  Atalanta,  running,  and  holding  in  her  left  hand  the  golden 
apple  thrown  by  Hippomenes. 

17.  Meleager  slaying  the  Calydonian  boar. 

18.  A  young  hunter  places  his  foot  on  the  lion  he  has  just  killed. 

19.  Adonis  holding  his  hunting-spear ;  beside  him  is  the  anemone, 
the  plant  which  sprang  from  his  blood ;  and  upon  a  neigliboring  hil- 
lock are  the  doves  of  Venus. 

20.  Narcissus,  looking  at  himself  in  the  water  of  a  spring,  while 
Cupid  watches  him  with  a  mocking  air. 

21.  Daphne  changed  into  a  laurel-tree.  Apollo  accompanied  by 
Cupid  wreathes  around  his  lyre  a  garland  of  leaves  gathered  from 
the  tree.  The  river  Peneus,  father  of  Daphne,  reclines  beside  the 
laurel. 

22.  Pan  is  playing  upon  his  flute  made  of  reeds  into  which  the 
nymph  Syrinx  has  been  changed.  Cupid  makes  sounds  issue  from 
the  reeds  themselves.  The  river  Ladon,  father  of  Syrinx,  reclines 
on  the  right. 

All  these  bas-reliefs,  modelled  iu  Rome  in  1838,  were  executed  after  designs  by 
Thorvaldsen,  by  V.  Galli. 

Pan  and  a  Young  Satyi{.    (See  cut,  p.  262.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum  Height,  1  ft.  6.89  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
7.10  in. 

The  god  is  reclining  with  one  arm  resting  upon  a  wine-skin.  Upon 
his  knees  is  seated  the  little  satyr,  whom  he  is  teaching  to  play  upon 
the  syrinx. 

Rome,  1831.   The  Museum  has  also  the  plaster  model. 

A  Bacchante  and  a  Young  Satyr. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1  ft.  6.89  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
7.10  in. 

The  bacchante  lies  stretched  upon  a  panther's  skin,  her  left  arm 
resting  upon  a  basket.  The  little  satyr  is  climbing  upon  the  legs  of 
the  young  woman,  and  biting  eagerly  at  the  bunch  of  grapes  which 
she  holds  raised  in  her  right  hand. 


CATALOGUE. 


293 


Rome,  1833.  Intended  as  a  companion  to  the  above.  The  plaster  model  is  also  in 
the  Museum. 

A  Satyk  and  a  Huxtki-:ss  Nymph. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft,  2.77  in.;  width,  1  ft. 
11.22  in. 

The  satyr  is  endeavoring  to  embrace  the  nymph,  who  resists  his 
attempts. 

Nyecie,  1841. 

A  Satyr  and  a  Bacchante  dancing. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3.55  in.;  width,  2  ft. 
1.19  in. 

Tlie  satyr  crowned  witli  fir-cones,  the  baccliante  with  ivy,  are 
dancing  witli  arms  intertwined :  one  is  playing  upon  cymbals,  the 
other  holds  a  thyrsus. 

Nysoe.  1841. 

A  Satyr  and  a  Bacchante  dancing. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  5.13  in.;  width,  2  It. 
1.98  in. 

A  companion  to  the  above.  In  this  new  composition  the  satyr  and 
the  bacchante  embrace  each  other  with  their  left  arms,  and  join  their 
right  hands  above  their  heads. 

Nysoe,  1841. 

Hylas  carried  away  by  the  Nymphs. 

Bas-relief:  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  1ft.  3.74  in.;  length,  2  ft. 
6.31  in. 

Hylas  kneels  beside  the  river  Ascauius  to  draw  water,  and  is 
dragged  into  the  waves  by  a  nymph  who  has  thrown  her  arm  around 
his  neck,  while  two  other  nymphs  approach  to  lay  hold  of  him. 

Rome,  1831.    The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 

Hylas  carried  away  by  the  Nymphs. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  3. 16  in.;  length,  3  ft. 
7.30  in. 

In  this  composition,  a  variation  of  the  above,  Hylas  is  standing. 
Two  nymphs  push  him  from  behind;  while  another,  seizing  him  by 
the  leg,  drags  him  into  the  waves. 

Rome,  1833.   The  plaster  model  is  also  in  the  Museum. 


294 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Nessus  and  Dejanira. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Count  Marulli,  of  Naples.  Height,  3  ft.  4.55 
in. ;  length,  4  ft.  1.99  in. 

The  centaur,  after  having  borue  her  across  the  river  Evenus,  at- 
tempts to  carry  off  Dejaiiira :  she  resists,  and  calls  upon  Hercules 
for  aid. 

Rome,  1814.   The  Museum  has  the  plaster  model,  and  a  repetition  in  marble. 

Perskus  and  Andromeda. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.    Medallion  :  diameter,  2  ft.  2.37  in. 

Perseus  flies  through  space  upon  the  wings  given  him  by  Mercury, 
leading  Pegasus,  upon  whose  back  is  seated  Andromeda,  leanin  r  her 
arm  on  the  shoulder  of  her  liberator.  The  hero  holds  in  his  hand 
the  head  of  Medusa,  while  Cupid  be.ars  his  sword.  The  vanquished 
monster  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  beside  the  broken  fetters. 

Nysoe,  1843.  An  overcharged  composition,  different  from  the  usual  style  of  thu 
artist. 

Love  in  Repose. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum  {mx^QVgYoun^  gallery).  Form,  oval. 
Height.  2  ft.  5.13  in. ;  width,  1  ft.  10.04  in. 

Love  rests  his  right  hand  upon  his  bow,  and  holds  an  arrow  in  his 
left. 

Copenhagen,  1789.    Large  silver  medal  at  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.    (See  p.  8.) 

Hercules  and  Oimphale. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  At  Copenhagen.  Form,  oval.  Height,  1  ft.  7.68  in. ;  length, 
2  ft.  1.19  in. 

Stretched  upon  the  lion's  skin,  Hercules  with  his  right  hand  holds 
the  distaff,  and  clasps  the  waist  of  Omphale.  The  Lydian  queen 
rests  her  left  hand  upon  the  club,  and  passing  her  right  arm  over  the 
hero's  shoulder  breaks  off  the  thread  from  the  distaff. 

Copenhagen.    Signed :  B.  Thorvaldsen  fec.  1792.   (See  p.  12.) 

The  Seasons  and  the  Hours. 
Decorative  work. 

Executed  in  1794,  from  the  designs  of  the  painter  Abildgaard,  and  placed  in  the 
dining-room  of  the  palace  of  Amalieuborg. 


CATALOGUE. 


295 


§  2.  —  Heroic  Subjects. 

Achilles  and  Thetis. 

Das-relief;  marble.  Purchased  bj/  Signor  Torlonia  for  the  Palazzo  Bracciano. 
Height,  3  ft.  2.58  in.  ;  length,  4  ft.  6.33  in. 

Thetis,  kneeling  beside  tlie  Styx,  holds  the  young  Achilles  by  the 
foot  and  plunges  him  in  the  river  to  render  him  invulnerable ;  Mi- 
nerva stretches  her  protecting  lance  above  the  child ;  while  the  river 
god,  crowned  with  reeds,  leans  against  an  urn. 

Rome,  1837.  Plaster  model  in  Museum.  In  a  subseqiient  repetition  the  nymph 
Styx,  daughter  of  Ocean,  is  substituted  in  place  of  the  river. 

Achilles  and  the  Centaur  Chiron. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  4.55  in. ;  length,  4  ft. 
1.99  in. 

The  infant  Achilles  is  seated  upon  the  back  of  the  centaur,  who  is 
teaching  him  to  throw  the  javelin. 

Rome,  1837. 

Achilles  and  Briseis. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Herr  von  Ropp,  at  Alitau,  Courland,  Height, 
3  ft.  9.27  in. ;  length,  7  ft.  9.70  in. 

The  heralds  of  Agamemnon  lead  away  Briseis,  whom  Patroclus 
has  just  delivered  to  them.  The  young  captive  departs  sadly ;  while 
Achilles  turns  away  his  head  in  violent  anger,  clenching  his  hand  and 
uttering  imprecations. 

Rome,  1803  to  180 ).  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum,  which  has  also  a  copy 
in  marble.  A  repetitioa,  ordered  in  1835,  was  executed  in  1820,  somewhat  smaller 
than  the  original,  for  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  who  has  placed  it  in  his  summer  residence 
at  Woburn  Abbey,  as  a  companion  to  the  Achilles  and  Priam. 

Achilles  and  Briseis. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  bj  Sijnor  Torlonia  for  the  Palazzo  Bracciano. 
Height,  2  ft.  3.95  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  5.54  in. 

Variation  of  the  above.    The  action  of  Achilles  is  less  violent :  the 
hero's  hand  rests  upon  his  knee. 
Rome,  1837.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Achilles  and  Patroclus. 

Bas-relief;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion  :  diameter,  3  ft.  3.16  in. 
Achilles  is  dressing  the  wound  of  Patroclus,  hit  by  an  arrow. 


296 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Rome.  1837.  Plaster  model  in  Museum.  Luitalccl  from  a  similar  scene  on  an 
antique  vase,  reproduced  in  the  Monumenti  dell'  Inst.  Arch,  di  lioma. 

Hector  confronting  Paris  and  Helen. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  Herr  J.  Knudzon  merchant  of  Trondhjem, 
Norway.  Height,  2  ft.  3.95  in. ;  length,  3  ft.  0.61  in. 

Hector  stands  holding  his  long  lance,  and  reproaches  Paris  with 
shunning  the  combat  and  remaining  in  shameful  inaction.  The  faith- 
less spouse  of  Menelaus,  occupied  in  some  woman's  work,  raises  her 
eyes  toward  Hector;  while  Paris,  seated  in  a  careless  attitude,  is 
furbishing  his  arms. 

Rome,  1809,  Executed  to  the  order  of  a  Russian  general  named  Balk.  Plaster 
model  in  Museum.  A  repetition  belongs  to  Mr.  P.  A.  Labouchere,  Paris.  (See 
p.  210.) 

Hector  confronting  Paris  and  Helen. 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  hy  Signer  Torlonia  for  the  Palazzo  Bracciano. 
Height,  2  ft.  9.46  in. ;  width,  2  ft.  2.77  in. 

A  variation  of  the  above.  Paris  has  risen,  Helen  reproaches  him 
with  his  inaction,  and  two  women  offer  him  a  distaff. 

Rome,  1837.   Plaster  model  in  Museum.   (See  p.  211.) 

The  Paritng  of  Hector  and  Andromache. 
Bas-relief;  marble.   Purchased  by  Signor  Torlonia  for  the  Palazzo  Bracciano. 
Height,  3  ft.  0.61  in. ;  length,  6  ft,  0.83  in. 

Hector  has  taken  his  son  from  the  hands  of  the  nurse ;  he  has  laid 
aside  his  helmet,  whose  crest  terrified  the  child,  and  raises  Astyanax 
in  his  arms.  Whilst  the  hero  invokes  the  gods,  Andromache  leans 
sadly  on  her  husband's  shoulder.    Paris  comes  to  rejoin  Hector. 

Rome,  1837.   Plaster  model  in  Museum.   (See  p.  212.) 

Priam  beseeching  Achilles  for  tiiic  Body  of  Hector. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Palace  of  Charlottenborg .  Height,  2  ft.  1.98  in. ;  length,  2  ft. 
6.31  in. 

Priam  throws  himself  at  the  feet  of  Achilles ;  the  Greek  hero  rises 
from  his  seat  and  hastens  to  raise  the  aged  man.  Behind  the  table, 
on  the  right,  two  companions  of  Achilles  receive  the  gifts  of  Priam. 

Copenhagen,  17J1.   (Seep.  11  ) 

Priam  begging  Achilles  for  the  Body  of  Hector. 
(See  cut,  p.  192.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Purchased  by  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  and  placed  in  Woburn 
Abbey,  England.   Height,  3  ft,  1.40  in. ;  length,  6  ft.  5.1  G  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


297 


Achilles  seated,  and  leaning  upon  a  table,  turns  his  fucc  toward 
the  old  man,  who  kneels  in  supplication.  Automedon  and  Alcinous 
stand  behind  Achilles.  Priam  is  followed  by  two  Trojans  bearing 
gifts. 

Rome,  1815.   Plaster  model  in  Museum.    (See  p.  11.) 

Achilles  and  Pi<:nthesilea. 

Bas-relief;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion  :  diameter,  2  ft.  3.16  in. 

The  Greek  hero  has  just  wounded  the  queen  of  the  Amazons. 
Surprised  at  her  beauty,  he  raises  her  from  the  ground  and  places 
his  hand  upon  her  heart  to  ascertain  if  it  still  beats. 

Rome,  1837.   Plaster  model  also  in  Museum. 

The  Arms  of  Achilles.    (See  cut,  p.  228.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  1.98  in. ;  length,  4  ft. 
0.81  in. 

Minerva  gives  to  Ulysses  the  arms  of  the  son  of  Peleus.  Ajax, 
who  hoped  to  have  them,  turns  away  full  of  anger  and  uttering  im- 
precations. In  the  background  the  nereid  Thetis,  mother  of  Achilles, 
sits  weeping  beside  the  tomb  of  her  son. 

Rome,  1831.  Subject  taken  from  the  Metamorphoses  of  Ovid.  Plaster  model  also 
in  Museum. 

Homer. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  2.58  in.;  length,  6  ft. 
6.34  in. 

The  poet  seated  upon  the  steps  of  a  temple,  having  laid  aside  his 
travelling  staff,  his  bag  and  hat,  sings,  to  his  own  accompaniment 
upon  the  lyre,  before  the  assembled  people.  Beside  him  a  young 
man  writes  down  the  poem  upon  a  tablet,  and  another  Greek  listens 
with  rapt  attention.  In  front  of  Homer  are  grouped  two  young 
boys,  one  of  whom  is  armed  with  a  quoit;  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life, 
a  woman  holding  a  child,  a  warrior  brandishing  his  sword,  and  an  old 
man  leaning  upon  a  stick.  After  these  come  two  figures  in  antique 
drapery,  one  of  whom  is  Mr.  Henry  Labouchere,  and  the  other 
Thorvaldsen.    (See  p.  56,  note.) 

Rome,  1836.  Mr.  Henry  Labouchere  had  ordered  from  Thorvaldsen  a  statue  of 
Achilles,  which,  by  the  way,  was  never  executed,  the  pedestal  of  which  was  to  have 
been  ornamented  with  several  bas-reliefs,  representing  scenes  from  Greek  Antiquity. 
The  Homer,  Achilles  and  Thetis,  Achilles  and  the  Centaur  Chiron,  The  Parting  of 
Hector  and  Andromache, -^7 ere  designed  for  this  purpose;  and  the  variations  of 
Achilles  and  Briseis,  and  of  Hector  confronting  Paris  and  Helen,  were  remodelled 
in  order  to  be  added  to  them. 


298 


WOliKS    OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Entry  of  Alexande::  into  Babylon. 
(Sec  cuts,  pp.  102,  182,  and  206.) 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  At  the  Q •drinal  Palace.  Rome.  Height ,  3  ft.  10  06  in. ;  length, 
115  ft.  5.8'i  in. 

In  the  ceDtre  of  the  frieze,  Alexander  in  a  triumphal  chariot  stands 
erect,  his  head  raised,  his  sceptre  in  his  right  hand  and  his  left  hand 
on  his  hip.  Victoiy,  holding  with  one  hand  the  front  of  the  chariot, 
supports  herself  by  her  wings  and  guides  the  horses. 

Behind  Alexander  march  two  equerries  and  two  men  leading  Bu- 
cephalus. Then  Hephsestion  on  horseback,  followed  by  Parmenio 
and  Amyntas  at  the  head  of  the  Macedonian  cavalry ;  after  whom 
come  the  foot-soldiers.  Then  an  aged  warrior  leading  an  elephant 
loaded  with  booty,  and  next  a  Persian  general,  with  head  bowed 
down,  under  the  guard  of  a  young  soldier.  Next  a  horseman  spur- 
ring his  steed  to  regain  his  place  in  the  ranks.  At  the  right  extrem- 
ity of  the  bas-relief  a  warrior  points  out  the  procession  to  a  man 
in  antique  drapery,  who  is  Thorvaldsen  himself. 

On  the  left,  in  the  other  half  of  the  composition,  the  vanquished 
advance  to  meet  Alexander.  At  their  head  the  Goddess  of  Peace, 
bearing  the  horn  of  plenty,  offers  an  olive-branch  to  the  conqueror. 
Behind  her,  in  a  suppliant  attitude,  appears  the  Persian  general  Ma- 
zieus,  accompanied  by  his  five  sons  and  two  warriors.  Then  come 
women  scattering  flowers  in  the  way;  men  are  seen  erecting  an 
altar  for  burning  perfumes  in  accordance  with  the  orders  of  Bagoph- 
anes ;  then  two  heralds  blowing  trumpets.  Next  come  presents 
for  the  Macedonian  king,  horses  and  a  lion  and  tiger,  chained.  Chal- 
dean astrologers  issue  from  the  city  gate  where  are  posted  two  Per- 
sian sentinels.  Near  the  gate  are  a  herdsman  and  his  family,  and  a 
young  shepherd  driving  home  his  flock.  Vases  of  perfumes  are  placed 
along  the  top  of  the  city  walls,  above  which  are  seen  the  tree-tops 
of  the  hanging  gardens.  The  god  of  the  river  Tigris,  leaning  upon 
an  urn  and  holding  a  rudder  and  stalks  of  wheat,  reclines  beside  the 
walls  of  Babylon ;  near  him  are  a  tiger,  suggestive  of  his  name,  and 
the  tower  of  Bclus  (or  Babel).  Two  merchants  take  to  flight  in  a 
boat ;  and  farther  on,  in  the  shade  of  the  palm-trees  that  grow  be- 
side the  river,  a  young  man  is  tranquilly  Ashing,  while  his  dog  is 
barking. 

Home,  1812.  (Sec  pp.  49  and  207.)  In  the  Museum  is  a  plaster  cast  taken  from 
the  model. 

This  frieze  ha.s  been  twice  cut  in  marble.  1.  The  first,  purchased  by  the  Count  of 
Sommariva.  was  in  1828  placed  in  that  gentleman's  villa,  near  the  Lake  of  Como. 


CATALOGUE. 


299 


The  proportions  are  the  same  as  in  the  j^histcr  of  the  Quirinal,  hut  changes  haveheeu 
raade  in  several  of  the  figures.  Alexander,  his  right  hand  resting  on  his  sceptre, 
the  left  on  the  front  of  the  chariot,  turns  his  head  and  raises  his  eyes.  Victory  holds 
the  reins  in  hoth  hands.  Peace  is  without  wings,  and  the  infant  Plutus  accompanies 
her  Three  other  musicians  precdde  the  two  Babylonian  trumpeters.  The  Macedo- 
nians coimt  five  new  horsemen,  and  a  warrior  on  foot  follows  the  elephant  in  place 
of  the  belated  cavalier.  Finally,  Sommariva  himself  appears  in  this  frieze  beside 
the  artist  who  points  out  to  him  the  procession.  The  plaster  model  of  this  variation 
is  in  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum  (height,  3  ft.  10.06  in.  ;  length,  134  ft.  3.80  in.).  2.  The 
second  marble,  executed  at  the  same  time  with  the  above,  but  finished  later,  has  been 
placed  in  the  palace  of  Christiansborg  Copenhagen.  It  differs  in  several  points  from 
the  two  models  above  described.  Alexander  and  the  Victory  are  nearly  the  same  r.s 
in  the  Count  of  Sommariva's  copy,  but  at  the  right  hand  extremity  Thorvaldsen  ap- 
pears alone  under  a  palm-tree.  On  the  left,  in  place  of  the  fisherman's  dog,  are  sev- 
eral figures  :  a  young  man  and  a  child  watching  the  procession ;  another  child  climbing 
upon  a  camel,  held  by  a  camel-driver.  The  river  Euphrates  takes  the  place  of  the 
Tigris  and  his  attributes  The  musicians  and  horsemen  added  to  the  first  marble 
appear  also  in  this,  and  there  are  in  addition  a  group  of  Babylonians  leading  horses, 
a  mother  placing  her  little  boy  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  sheep,  and  a  little  girl  by 
her  side.  The  Museum  has  a  marble  copy,  half-size  (height,  1  ft.  10.04  in.;  length, 
75  ft.  11.80  in.),  of  the  frieze  of  the  Christiansborg  Palace,  as  well  as  full-size  models 
of  the  added  portions. 

Several  plaster  copies  have  also  been  made.  One  for  the  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg 
was  placed  in  his  palace  at  Munich.  Another  was  jjurchased  by  an  Englishman. 
These  were  taken  from  the  frieze  in  the  Quirinal.  In  France,  the  Louvre  has  a  half- 
size  model.   There  is  also  a  copy  at  Potsdam. 

In  the  Thorvaldsen  Museum  is  the  last  model  of  the  centre-piece,  in  which  the  head 
of  Alexander,  as  in  the  antique  medal,  is  shown  in  profile.  Also  a  marble  copy  of 
the  Alexander  (a  variation  slightly  diff'ering  from  that  of  the  Christiansborg  frieze), 
and  plaster  models  of  two  pieces  which  were  not  used  :  a  young  man  leading  a  horse, 
and  a  warrior  holding  another  horse,  frightened,  and  rearing  at  the  barking  of  a 
dog. 

Copies  of  the  Sommariva  frieze,  by  an  Italian  named  Pistrini,  were  for  sale  at 
Scagliola.  They  were  very  small,  only  1.57  inches  in  height.  The  half-size  model, 
like  that  in  the  Museum,  was  sold  in  Rome,  in  terra  cotta,  for  a  thousand  scudi. 

Alexander  and  Thais. 

Bas-rehef;  marble.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  1.79  in  ;  length,  6  ft. 
5.95  in. 

Seduced  by  Thais  and  heated  with  wine,  Alexander,  turning  a  deaf 
ear  to  Parmenio  who  endeavors  to  persuade  him,  takes  a  torch  from 
the  hands  of  the  courtesan  to  set  fire  to  Persepolis.  On  the  right 
are  two  Macedonian  warriors,  on  the  left  two  other  courtesans  are 
lighting  their  torches.    A  Persian  turns  away  in  anger  and  despair. 

Rome,  1832.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Alexander  and  Thais. 
Bas-relief;  marble.    Purchased  by  Prince  Maximilian,  of  Bavaria.  Height, 
2  ft.  9.46  in. ;  length,  6  ft.  6.74  in. 


300 


WOBKS  OF  THOEVALDSEN. 


Alexander  orders  the  warriors  who  stand  behind  liim  to  Ii2;ht 
their  torches.  A  Macedonian  whispers  in  the  ear  of  one  of  the  cour- 
tesans ;  an  old  man  turns  away  overwhelmed  with  grief  and  leading 
a  child,  while  a  young  man  who  accompanies  them  seems  to  meditate 
resistance. 

Rome,  1837.   Variation  of  the  above.    Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

NUMA  CONSULTING  THE  NyMPH  EGEKIA. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Tliorvaldsen  Museum  (underground  galleries),  neight,  1  ft. 
3.74  in.;  length,  2  ft.  1.19  in. 

The  nymph,  seated  beside  an  urn  whence  escapes  the  water  of  a 
spring,  bends  toward  Numa  and  places  her  hand  on  the  tablet  upon 
which  the  king  is  writing. 

Copenhagen.   Signed:  B.  Thorvaldsen  fec.  1794. 


CATALOGUE. 


301 


ALLEGORICAL  COMPOSITIONS. 


The  Four  Seasons  and  the  Four  Ages  of  Lite. 

Four  medallions ;  marble.  Purchased  by  King  William,  of  Wiirtemberg.  Diam- 
eter, 2  ft.  3.55  in, 

I.  Spring  and  Childhood,—  K  young  girl,  nude,  half  seated  upon  a 
bank,  takes  flowers  from  a  boy  and  weaves  them  into  a  garland. 
On  her  left,  a  tambourine  leans  againstabasketcovered  with  wreaths. 
A  little  child,  entirely  naked,  stretches  out  his  hand  to  offer  a  bouquet. 

II.  Summer  and  Youth. —  A  young  woman,  on  her  knees,  is  bind- 
ing wheat-sheaves ;  another,  still  holding  her  sickle,  is  embraced  by 
a  young  man  who  oflfers  her  fruit. 

III.  Autumn  and  Maturity. —  A  man  is  returning  from  the  chase, 
accompanied  by  his  dog  and  carrying  his  game  upon  his  shoulder. 
He  has  a  bunch  of  grapes  in  his  hand  and  pauses  before  his  wife, 
who  is  seated  and  nursing  her  child. 

IV.  Winter  and  Old  Age  (see  cut,  p.  150).— An  old  man  wrapped 
in  his  cloak  sits  bending,  with  hands  outspread,  over  a  chafing-dish. 
His  aged  wife  has  risen  to  light  a  candle  at  the  lamp  which  stands 
on  the  table.  The  cat  is  warming  herself  by  the  fire,  and  wet  cloth- 
ing is  hung  up  to  dry. 

Art  and  the  Genius  of  Light.    (J.  Genio  Lumen.) 

Bas-relief;  marble.    .    .    .    ?   Height,  1  ft.  8.07  in.;  length,  2  ft. 3.10  in. 

Art  is  symbolized  by  a  young  woman  seated,  and  resting  her  head 
pensively  upon  her  hand ;  she  holds  a  stylus  and  tablet.  The  Genius 
approaches  to  pour  oil  into  the  lamp,  and  thus  brings  light. 

i;omo,  1808.  Plaster  model  in  Museum.  We  know  not  what  has  become  of  the 
first  marble  A  half-size  copy,  also  in  marble,  was  presented  to  Mr.  Hope.  (See  p. 
37,  note.)  This  composition  was  used  by  the  engraver  Fr.  Brandt,  for  tlie  reverse  of 
a  medal  struck  in  honor  of  Thorvaldsen,  which  bore  on  its  face  the  i)ortrait  of  the 
artist.  The  legend,  A  Genio  Lumen,  engraved  upon  thia  medal,  has  often  served  to 
designate  the  bas-relief. 


302 


WOEKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


TbS  artist  made  a  variation  of  tliis  subject,  of  which  the  plaster  model  is  also  in 
the  Museum  (height,  3  ft.  4.15  in. ;  length,  4  ft.  6.33  in. ).  The  sitting  figure  has  one 
foot  upon  a  tabouret,  a  cist  and  a  scroll  are  under  her  seat,  and  the  Genius  has  a 
piece  of  drapery  over  his  arm.  The  column  bears  the  inscription,  A  Genio  Lumen. 
(See  cut,  p.  2.) 

The  Gexius  of  Light. 

Bas-relief;  sketch.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion:  diameter,  1  ft.  0.59  in. 
The  Genius  advances  with  a  torch  in  liis  hand  and  crowned  with 
laurel.    Beside  him  are  a  lyre,  and  a  cist  containing  scrolls. 

Nysoe,  1841.  Made  as  a  model  for  the  reverse  of  a  medal  struck  in  the  reign  of 
Christian  VIII  as  a  recompense  to  be  awarded  to  artists  and  writers. 

The  Gemus  of  Painting. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.    Medallion:  diameter,  3  ft.  2. 58  in. 

The  Genius  is  seated ;  his  features  recall  those  of  Raphael ;  in  his 
left  hand  he  holds  a  vase  for  colors,  in  his  right  a  paint-brush.  He  is 
painting  the  Annunciation  of  the  Virgin. 

Nysoe,  1843. 

The  Gknius  of  Architectuke. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion :  diameter,  3  ft.  2.58  in. 

This  Genius  is  leaning  upon  a  column  before  which  lie  a  tablet  and 
a  square.  He  holds  in  his  hand  a  plumb-line  and  a  compass ;  beside 
him  is  the  owl,  perched  upon  an  Ionic  capital. 

Signed  :  Nyscie,  3  December,  1843. 

The  Genius  of  Sculpture. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.    Medallion:  diameter,  3 ft.  2.58  in. 

The  Genius,  seated,  holds  in  his  hand  the  chisel  and  mallet.  Be- 
side him  is  a  bas-relief  representing  Minerva  issuing  from  the  fore- 
head of  Jupiter. 

Nysoe,  1843 

The  Genius  of  Sculpture. 

Das-relief;  plaster.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion  :  diameter,  3  ft.  1.79  in. 

Variation  of  the  preceding  composition.  The  Genius  is  seated 
upon  the  eagle  of  Jupiter,  at  the  foot  of  a  colossal  statue  of  the 
god. 

Copenhagen,  1844. 


CATALOGUE. 


303 


The  Genius  uf  Sculpture. 

Sketch  ia  outline,  drawn  upon  a  slate.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Medallion  :  diam- 
eter, 3  ft.  2.58  in. 

A  new  rendering  of  the  same  subject.  The  Genius  of  Sculpture^ 
having  finished  his  work,  reposes  on  the  shoulder  of  the  statue  of 
Jupiter.  The  head  of  the  statue  is  seen,  a  part  of  the  breast  and 
the  thunderbolt. 

Thorvaldsen  made  this  drawing  a  few  days  before  his  death.    (See  p.  178.) 

The  Genii  of  Architectuue,  Sculituhe,  and  Painting. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  ]\ruseum.   Medallion:  diameter,  2  ft.  7.10  in. 

The  three  Genii  embrace  each  other  as  they  fly,  each  bearing  the 
implements  of  his  art. 

Nysoe,  1843  This  composition  has  been  engraved  for  the  gold  medal  given  as  a 
prize  by  the  Copenhagen  Academy  of  Fine  Arts. 

The  Gi']nius  of  Poetiiy. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  6.31  in. ;  length,  3  f  , 
10.06  in. 

The  Genius,  seated,  is  singing  and  playing  upon  the  lyre  :  befon 
him  lie  the  stylus  of  Clio  and  a  torch  leaning  against  a  cist  contaip 
ing  scrolls  ;  on  the  othf^r  side,  a  shepherd's  crook  and  the  tragic  an> 
comic  masks,  attributes  of  Melpomene  and  'I  halia. 

Kome,  about  1836.    The  symbols  of  the  Muses,  as  well  as  the  zodiacal  signs,  Sco 
pio  and  Taurus,  corresponding  to  the  birth  (November)  and  the  death  (May)  cv' 
Schiller,  lead  to  the  supposition  that  this  composition  was  intended  for  the  monumeii» 
of  that  poet.    The  upper  part  is  arched. 

The  Genius  of  Poetry. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  .\fuseum.    Medallion  :  diameter,  3  ft.  3.37  in. 

The  Genius  stands  with  head  raised,  the  plectrum  in  his  right 
hand,  and  the  lyre  in  his  left.  At  his  feet  are  a  cist  and  a  laurel 
crown. 

Copenhagen,  1844 

The  Genh  of  Harmony  and  of  Poictry. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.    Medallion:  diameter,  2  ft.  7.10  in. 

The  two  Genii  fly  side  by  side ;  one  plays  upon  the  lyre,  the  other 
rests  his  arm  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  first,  and  holds  the  stylus  and 
ii  scroll  partly  unrolled.  The  soul  also  appears,  under  the  form  of  a 
butterfly. 

The  scroll  bears  the  inscription  :  Nysoe,  30  July,  1843. 


304  WOEKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


The  Genius  of, Peace  and  of  Liberty. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  6.31  in.;  length,  6  ft. 
3.19  in. 

The  Genius  wears  the  cap  of  liberty  surrounded  by  a  wreath  of 
laurel.  A  lion  and  an  eagle  are  feeding  from  a  large  dish  which  he 
offers  them  kneeling.  Behind  the  Genius  is  a  dog,  emblem  of  fidel- 
ity. The  sword,  helmet,  shield,  and  banner,  instruments  of  oppres- 
sion, now  become  useless,  lie  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree  which  is 
catching  fire  from  a  torch. 

Copenhagen,  1844.    (See  p.  177.; 

The  Genh  of  Government. 

Two  bas-reliefs  ;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  3.37  in. ;  length, 
5  ft.  0.62  in. 

One  is  seated,  crowned  with  laurel,  upon  a  lion ;  his  right  hand 
rests  upon  the  tables  of  the  law,  his  left  upon  a  rudder. 
The  other,  with  head  raised,  holds  a  balance  and  a  mace. 

Rome,  1837.  Intended  for  the  pedestal  of  the  statue  of  Maximilian  of  Bavaria, 
but  not  used.   (See  p.  129.) 

Genh. 

Twenty  bas-reliefs ;  marble.  Villa  Torlonia.  Oval  medallions.  Height,  11.02  in. ; 
width,  7.87  in. 

Genius  of  Poetry,  with  lyre  and  plectrum. 

Genius  of  Tragedy,  with  mace  and  tragic  mask. 

Genius  of  Comedy,  with  crook  and  comic  mask. 

Genius  of  Music,  playing  upon  the  double  flute. 

Genius  of  the  Dance,  playing  upon  the  tambourine. 

Genius  of  Administration,  bearing  a  rudder  upon  his  shoulder. 

Genius  of  War,  unsheathing  a  sword. 

Genius  of  Navigation,  holding  in  his  arms  the  prow  of  a  skiff. 
Genius  of  Commerce,  armed  with  the  caduceus  of  Mercury,  and 
holding  a  purse. 

Genius  of  Medicine,  holding  a  cup  and  the  staff  of  ^sculapius. 
Genius  of  Astronomy,  holding  a  compass  and  a  celestial  globe. 
Genius  of  Beligion,  raising  his  hands  to  heaven,  in  prayer. 
Genius  of  Painting,  holding  a  brush  and  a  vase  for  colors. 
Genius  of  Sculpture,  holding  the  mallet  and  chisel. 
Genius  of  Architecture,  with  compass  and  square. 
Genius  of  Hunting,  armed  with  a  spear  and  carrying  game. 
(renins  of  Fishing,  with  a  line  and  a  fish. 


CATALOGUE. 


305 


(jrenius  of  Horticulture^  a  flower  in  his  hand  and  a  basket  of  flowers 
on  his  head. 

Genius  of  Agriculture,  with  wheat-sheaves  and  a  sickle. 
Genius  of  Justice,  holding-  a  balance. 

Rome,  1836,  modelled  by  V.  Galli.  after  designs  by  Thorvaldsen.  The  plaster 
sketches  are  in  the  Museum.  Some  of  them  are  oval,  others  square,  and  others  re- 
peated in  both  forms. 

The  Gknius  of  the  New  Year. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Tliorvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion  :  diameter,  1  ft.  10.44  in. 

The  Genius,  mounted  upon  skates,  is  traversing  the  zodiacal  sign, 
Capricon.  He  holds  upon  his  arm  a  garland  of  flowers  (Spring),  in 
his  hands  a  sickle  and  wheat-sheaves  (Summer),  and  a  bunch  of 
grapes  (Autumn). 

Nysoe,  1840,  for  1st  January,  1S41. 

Justice. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Tlwrvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  9.46  in.;  width,  2  ft. 
0.01  in. 

Justice,  seated  in  the  shadow  of  two  palm-trees  whose  branches 
meet  above  her  head,  holds  upon  her  knees  an  open  code ;  her  left 
hand  is  placed  upon  a  sword;  her  right  holds  a  balance,  having  in 
one  scale  a  royal  crown,  in  the  other  a  peasant's  sickle. 

Signed:  Nysoe,  22  May,  1841. 

Denmark. 

Bas-relief;  sketch     Tlwrvaldsen  Museum.   Medallion:  diameter,  1  ft.  6.50  in. 

Denmark  is  represented  under  the  form  of  a  woman  on  her  knees, 
praying.  A  Danish  inscription  records  her  prayer :  God  save  the 
king  {Gud  velsigne  Kongen). 

Copenhagen,  1839.  For  the  medal  struck  on  the  accession  of  Christian  VIII  to  the 
throne. 


306  WOEKS  OF  THOIiVALDSEN. 


THE  PRINCESS  BARYATINSKA. 


PORTKAITS. 
I. 

STATUES. 
The  Princess  Caroline- Amelia. 

Plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   ITeight,  5  ft.  9.68  in. 

The  princess,  since  Queen  of  Denmark,  is  dressed  in  a  long  robe 
fastened  at  the  waist,  leaving  the  shoulders  and  arms  uncovered. 
The  hands,  one  raised,  the  other  lowered,  hold  a  cloak  which  she  is 
in  the  act  of  putting  on. 

Home,  18'27.   There  is  also  in  the  Museum  a  sketch  (height,  1  ft.  6.50  in.)- 

The  Princess  Baryatixska. 

Marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  6  ft.  0.44  in. 


CATALOGUE. 


307 


The  princess  stands  in  a  pensive  attitude,  with  h^r  right  hand 
under  her  chin,  and  holding  in  her  left  the  drapery  which  falls  from 
her  shoulder. 

Rome,  1818.    Plaster  model  also  in  Museum.    (See  p.  60.) 

The  Countess  D'Ostermann. 

Marble.    Purchased  by  Count  d?Ostermann.   Height,  4  ft.  6.33  in. 

The  countess  is  seated,  her  head  in  a  pensive  attitude,  her  hands 
resting  in  her  lap.  An  ample  drapery  is  thrown  over  her  dress, 
which  is  confined  by  a  belt  at  the  waist. 

Home,  1815.  The  Museum  has  the  plaster  model,  a  copy  in  marble,  and  a  sketch, 
in  which  the  attitude  is  different  (height,  1  ft.  5.71  in.).  Two  other  maquettes,  of 
neai'ly  the  same  size,  were  probably  made  for  this  figure. 

Thouvaldsen.    (See  cut,  p.  151.) 

Plaster.   At  Nysoe.    Height,  6  ft.  7.13  in. 

The  sculptor,  in  his  working  dress,  stands  with  a  chisel  in  his  left 
hand,  and  a  hammer  in  his  right.  He  leans  upon  the  model  of  his 
statue  of  Hope. 

Nysoe,  1839.  (See  p.  152.)  The  Museum  has  a  plaster  cast  taken  from  the  model, 
and  a  sketch  (height,  2  ft.  2.77  in.). 

Geokgina-Elisabeth  Russell. 

Marble.  Duke  of  Bedford^s  collection,  Wohurn  Abbey,  England.  Height,  3  ft. 
4.15  in. 

The  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Bedford,  aged  three  years,  is  repre- 
sented standing,  and  nude;  her  little  hand  alone  holding  her  drapery 
upon  the  left  hip. 

Uome,  1814.   The  Museum  has  a  plaster  cast  of  the  model. 

FiGuni:  OF  a  Child. 

Plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  3  ft.  5.73  in. 

A  young  girl  represented  as  Psyche,  nude,  with  butterfly's  wings  : 
she  carries  her  drapery  suspended  from  her  left  arm,  and  holds  one 
of  Cupid's  arrows,  of  whicii  slic  is  feeling  the  point. 

Nysoe,  1839. 

LUTHEK. 

Sketch.    Tlwrv(ddsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  3.55  in. 

Tlie  great  reformer  points  to  the  Bible  with  his  left  hand,  and, 
with  his  right  hand  raised,  seems  to  be  expounding  the  text. 
Copenhagen,  about  1840.    Intended  for  the  Frue  Kirke,  but  not  executed. 


3o8  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Melanchthon. 

Sketch,    lliorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  3.95  in. 

Melanchthon  is  standing,  dressed  in  a  long  robe,  holding  the  Bible, 
and  having  his  cap  in  his  right  hand. 

Copenhagen,  about  1840.    Intended  as  a  companion  to  the  above.    Not  executed. 

Alberto  Paulsen. 

Sketch.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.    Height,  1  ft  5.32  in. 

The  young  man,  Thorvaldsen's  grandson,  is  represented  in  a  hunt- 
ing dress,  one  foot  resting  upon  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  He  is  caressing 
his  dog. 

Nysoe,  1843. 

II. 

BUSTS. 

[The  greater  part  of  the  busts  of  contemporary  persons  enumerated  in  this  Cat- 
alogue were  probably  cut  in  marble ;  but,  in  cases  where  we  have  no  positive  infor- 
mation to  that  effect,  we  have  mentioned  only  the  plaster  models  in  possession  of  the 
Thorvaldsen  Museum.] 

Saint  Apollinauius,  Bishop  of  R.wenna. 

Colossal  bust;  marble.   At  Ravenna. 

Rome,  about  1822.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Leonaijdo  of  Pisa. 

Colossal  hermes ;  marble.    Executed  for  the  Museum  of  the  Capitol. 

Rome,  .   Bears  the  inscription :  Leonardo  Pisano  detto  Fibonacci  principe 

<?e'  matematici  visse  nel  secolo  XII.  On  one  side :  Monsignor  Girolamo  Galanti 
pose;  on  the  other :  Alberto  Thorvaldsen  scolpi.    Piaster  model  in  Museum. 

Maximilian,  Electou  of  Bavaria. 

Colossal  hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  ^^useum. 

Rome,  1831.   First  model  for  the  equestrian  statue  of  the  Elector. 

LUTIIER. 

Hermes;  unfinished  sketch.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Thorvaldsen's  last  work. 
(See  p.  178.) 

Louis  Holberg,  a  Danish  Writer. 

Hermes  ;  plaster.   Nysoe,  1839. 


CATALOGUE.  309 


Napoleon. 

Colossal  tust ;  marble.    Purchased  by  Mr.  Alexander  Murrajj. 

The  artist  has  chosen  to  represent  the  apotheosis  of  Napoleon. 
Clothed  as  a  Roman  emperor,  a  laurel  crown  upon  his  head,  the  aegis 
on  his  shoulder,  the  hero  rests  upon  the  terrestrial  globe,  which  in 
turn  is  upheld  by  an  eagle.    The  back  of  the  bust  rests  upon  a  palm. 

Rome,  1830.  I'laster  model  in  Museum.  A  repetition  in  marble  was  placed  in  the 
Salle  du  Trone,  in  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries.   (See  p.  111.) 

Alexander  I,  Emperor  of  Russla.. 

Bust;  marble.   Purchased  by  the  Emperor. 
Warsaw,  1820.   Often  repeated  in  marble.    (Seep.  78.) 

Pius  VII. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Model  for  tlu' statue. 

Cardinal  Consalvi. 

Bust;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1824.    Model  for  the  monument. 

Louis,  Prince  Royal  of  Bavaria. 

Bust;  Carrara  marble.    Glyptothek,  Munich. 

Rome,  1822.   The  Museum  has  the  plaster  model,  and  a  repetition  in  marble. 

Frederick  VI,  King  of  Denmark. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Copenhagen,  1819. 

Maria- Sophia-Fred  ERIK  A,  Queen  of  Denmark. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Copenhagen,  1819. 

Caroline  of  Denmark,  Princess  Royal. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Copenhagen,  1819. 

Wilhelmina-Maria  of  Denmark. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Represented  as  a  child. 

Copenhagen,  1819. 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Wiliielmina-Makia  of  Dj:nmakk. 
Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
The  Princess  is  represented  as  ii  young  girl. 

The  Museum  also  has  the  plaster  model. 

C IIRISTI  AN-FrE  D  ERICK. 
Bust ;  marble.    In  Denmark. 

Hereditary  Prince  of  Denmarlv,  afterward  Kin^-  Christian  VIII. 
Rome,  1821.   Often  repeated  in  marble.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Caroline  -  Am  elia  . 
Bust;  marble.   In  Denmark. 
"Wife  of  Prince  Christian  Frederick. 

Rome,  1821.   Often  repeated  in  marble.    Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

FREDElJICK-CHAltLES-CHRISTlAN. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

This  prince,  here  represented  at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  was  after- 
ward King  of  Denmark  under  the  title  of  Frederick  VII. 

Copenhagen,  1819. 

Frederick-Charles- Christian. 
Bust;  plaster.    I'horvaldsen  Museum. 
The  same  at  the  age  of  nineteen. 
Copenhagen,  1827. 

Fr.EDERICK-WlLLIAM. 

Bust ;  iDlaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Prince  of  Hesse  Philippsthal. 

Rome,  1822. 

JULIA-SOPHIA. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Princess  of  Denmark,  wife  of  the  above. 
Rome,  1822. 

Portrait  or  a  Lady. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Supposed  to  be  that  of  the  Grand  Duchess  Helena  of  Russia,  modelled  at  Rome, 
1829.    (Seep.  111.) 


CATALOGUE. 


Prince  C.  de  Mktternich. 

Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Austrian  Minister. 

Plaster  model  also  in  Museum. 

Prince  Poniatowski. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Model  for  the  head  of  the  equestrian  statue. 

GkNEHAL  PlilNCE  VON  SCHWARZRNBERG. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

William  von  Humboldt. 

Hermes;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Prussian  Minister. 

Ciiristian-Charles-Frederick-Augustus. 

Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Duke  of  Augustenbourg. 
Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Frederick-Augustus-Emilius. 

Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Prince  of  Augustenbourg. 

Plaster  model  also  in  Museum. 

Bahon  von  Schubart. 

Colossal;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Danish  ambassador. 

Rome,  1804-1805. 

Baroness  von  Schubart. 

Colossal;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Wife  of  the  above. 

Rome,  1804-5. 

Count  von  Rantzau  von  Breitenbourg. 

Colossal;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Danish  Minister  of  State. 

Rome,  1804-5. 


312 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALBSEN. 


Count  von  Bernstorff. 
Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Danish  Minister  of  State, 

Modelled,  Copenhagen,  1795.   Cut  in  marble,  Rome,  1802.   (See  p.  14.) 

Count  von  Bernstorff. 

Colossal;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1804-5. 

Count  Adam  von  Moltke-Nutschau. 
Colossal ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1804-5. 

Henky  Hjelmstjerne. 
Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Privy  Counsellor  to  the  King  of  Denmark. 

Baron  Hans  Holsten. 
Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Admiral. 

Copenhagen.   Inscription  :  17  Nov.  1840, 

Count  Christian  von  Danneskjold  Samsoe. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Countess  Henrietta  von  Danneskjold. 
Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Wife  of  the  above. 

Countess  Louisa  von  Danneskjold. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Afterward  Duchess  of  Augustenbourg,  daughter  of  the  above. 
Mademoiselle  Ida  Brun. 

Hermes;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Afterward  Countess  de  Bombelles. 
Rome,  1810. 

Baroness  Christine  vox  Stamps. 
Hermes ;  marble.   At  N^jsoe. 
Plaster  model  in  Museum. 


CATALOGUE. 


313 


Fkederick-Siegfred  Vogt. 

Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Counsellor  of  State. 

Plaster  model  also  in  Musemn. 

Bertel  Thorvaldsen. 

Colossal  hermes ;  marble.   Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Copenhagen. 
Rome,  1815.   The  Museum  has  a  cast  taken  from  the  marble.   A  repetition  in 
marble  is  in  possession  of  Herr  Donner,  at  Altona. 

Horace  Vernet. 
Colossal  hermes ;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1833.   The  model,  life-size,  also  in  Museum.    (See  p.  130.) 

Lord  Byrox. 
Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1817.   Plaster  model  also  in  Museum.    (See  p.  58.) 

Sir  Walter  Scott. 
Bust ;  marble.   In  England. 

Rome,  1831.   Plaster  model  in  Museum.   (See  p.  127.) 

C.  W.  ECKERSBERG. 
Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Danish  painter. 

Bears  the  inscription :  Eckersberg,  Roma,  il  12  Maggio,  1816.  Eckersberg  painted 
a  portrait  of  Thorvaldsen,  which  is  in  the  Museum. 

C.  A.  TiEDJE. 

Colossal  bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
A  Danish  poet. 

Erederick  Brandt. 
Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
A  Danish  artist,  engraver  of  medals. 

J.  C.  Dahl. 

Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
A  Norwegian  landscape  painter. 


314 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Oehlexschlaegek. 

Hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
A  Danish  poet. 
Nysoe,  1839. 

Tycho  Rothe. 

Hermes;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Philosopher. 

Modelled,  Copenhagen,  1795.   Cut  in  marble,  Rome.  1797.   (See  p.  15.) 

Gaspaud  Bartholin-Eichel. 
Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

J.  Knudzon. 

Bust;  marble.  At  Trondhjem. 
Merchant  of  Trondhjem. 

Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

H.  C.  Kkudzon'. 

Bust;  marble.   At  Trondhjem. 

Brother  of  the  above. 

Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

Madame  HQyer. 

Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Mother  of  the  Danish  painter,  C.  F.  Hoyer. 

C.  H.  DONNER. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Merchant  of  Altona. 

Madame  von  Krause. 

Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Madame  de  Reiifuss. 

Hermes;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Eauon  D'Eichthal. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Banker  in  Munich. 

Princess  Baryatinska. 
Bust;  plaster.   Model  for  the  statue.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

The  Princess  Narischkin. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 


CATALOGUE. 


The  Countess  Potocka. 

Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Sill  Thomas  Maitland. 

Colossal  bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1818-19.   For  the  monument. 

Lord  Gowek,  Duke  of  Sutherland. 

Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Lord  W.  Bentink. 
Hermes  ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Lord  Exmouth. 

Hermes  ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
English  admiral. 

The  Countess  of  Dietrichstein. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

The  Countess  of  Nugent. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

The  Misses  Lugan. 

Two  busts ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Daughters  of  Lord  Lucan. 

Lady  Sandwich. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Mr.  Alexander  Baillik. 

Bust;  marble.    In  England.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

M.  Diwet. 
Bust ;  plaster.   Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Mrs.  Hope. 

Bust;  marble.   In  England.   Fluster  model  in  Museum. 

The  Messrs.  Hope. 

Two  busts  ;  marble.   In  England.    Plaster  models  in  Museum. 

Sons  of  Sir  Thomas  Hope. 

The  Count  of  Sommariva. 

Hermes;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Plaster  model  also  in  Museum. 

The  Count  of  Sommariva. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Executed  several  years  later  than  tJie 
above. 


3i6 


WORKS  OF  THOBVALDSEJSr. 


The  Mauchionkss  Di  Firkxzi. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen Museum. 

Prince  Butera. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

The  Princess  Butera. 

Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Giovanni  Torlonia. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Duke  of  Bracciano. 

G.vzi-Eddin-Heyder. 
Bust;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Aluseum. 

King  of  Oude,  author  of  a  Persian  Grammar  and  of  the  celebrated 
Persian  dictionary,  Haft  culzum,  "The  Seven  Seas."  Modelled  from 
a  painted  portrait.    The  king  wears  his  national  dress. 

Rome,  1824. 

VlTTORIA  CaRDONI. 
Bust ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
Rome,  1821.   (Seep.  89.) 

Portrait  of  a  Man. 
Bust;  marble.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 
The  plaster  model  also  in  Museum. 

Portraits  of  Unknown  Men. 
Twenty-one  busts  or  hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

Portraits  of  Unknown  Women. 
Ten  busts  or  hermes ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

PORTKAITS  OF  UNKNOWN  CHILDREN. 
Two  busts;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum. 

III. 

MEDALLIONS. 
The  Philosopher  Henri  Steffens. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thot'valdsen  Museum.   Diameter,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 
Nysoe,  1840. 

Profi':ssor  E.  H.  Loffler. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Diameter,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 

Professor  of  drawing  in  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  Copenhagen. 
Figure  of  an  Unknown  Woman. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Diameter,  1  ft.  6.89  in. 


CATALOGUE, 


DIVERS  SUBJECTS. 


I. 

STATUES. 

A  Young  Shepherd. 

Statue;  marble.  Purchased  by  Herr  von  Krause,  Wilsdruff,  near  Dresden. 
Height,  4  ft.  10.26  in. 

He  is  seated  upon  a  rock,  with  his  right  le^:  raised  aud  his  left 
hand  resting-  upon  his  crook.    His  dog  is  on  his  right  side. 

Rome,  1817.  lias  been  repeated  in  marble  a  great  number  of  times.  Repetitions 
were  purchased  by  Lord  Grantley,  Lord  Altman,  Count  von  Schonborn,  Herr  Donner, 
of  Altona.  In  Count  von  Schonboi-n's  copy  a  syrinx  lies  at  the  feet  of  the  figure. 
The  King  of  Prussia  had  this  statue  cast  in  bronze  by  JoUage  and  Hoffgarten. 
Another  bronze  copy  was  cast  in  Paris  in  1828.  Plaster  model  and  a  copy  in  marble 
in  the  Museum. 

A  Roman  Soldiek. 

Statue ;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  6  ft.  5.95  in. 

The  soldier,  leaning  against  a  rock,  turns  his  head  to  listen. 

Intended  for  the  right  side  of  the  pediment  in  the  Preaching  of  St.  John  the  Bap- 
list,  but  suppressed. 

A  Jew. 

Statue;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Museum.   Height,  4  ft.  9.08  in. 

This  personage,  seated  in  an  attentive  attitude,  was  also  to  have 
formed  part  of  the  group  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  but  the  statue  was 
not  executed. 

A  Dancing-Girl. 

Statue;  marble.   Esterhazy  Gallery,  Vienna.   Height,  5  ft.  10.47  in. 

The  young  girl  wears  a  robe  fastened  at  the  waist  by  a  belt,  and 
has  upon  her  head  a  wreath  of  flowers.  The  left  hand  is  raised,  the 
right  lowered,  and  from  one  to  the  other  flutters  a  light  drapery. 


3i8 


WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Rome,  1817.  (Seep.  58.)  The  plaster  model  is  in  the  Museum.  Herr  Thiele  has 
the  sketch. 

A  Dancing-Girl. 

Statue;  marble.   Purchased  by  Si[/nor  Torlonia,  Rome.   Height,  5  ft.  10.47  in. 
Variation  of  the  above.    The  head  is  turned  to  the  left,  and  both 
arms  are  lowered,  to  allow  the  statue  to  be  placed  in  a  niche. 
Modelled  soon  after  the  above.   Plaster  model  in  Museum. 

A  Little  Dancing-Giul.    (See  cut,  p.  117.) 

Statue;  marble.    Purchased  by  Signor  Torlonia,  Rome. 

The  little  girl  has  set  clown  her  basket  beside  her.  The  upper  part 
of  her  dress,  having  slipped  down  over  the  arm,  leaves  the  bosom 
partly  uncovered.  Her  hair  is  gathered  back  and  knotted  on  the  top 
of  her  head. 

Rome,  1837.  The  Museum  has  a  repetition  in  marble,  the  model  in  plaster,  and  a 
sketch,  2  ft.  0.40  inches  in  height.    (See  p.  204.) 

A  Dancing-Girl. 

Statuette ;  sketch ;  plaster.  In  possession  of  the  Baroness  von  Stam2)e,  Nysoe.. 
Height,  3  ft.  3,37  in. 

The  young  girl  holds  a  tambourine. 

The  Museum  has  a  small  sketch  of  this  figure.    Height,  2  ft.  0.40  in. 

A  Young  Girl. 

Statuette;  sketch;  plaster.    Thorvaldsoi  Museum.   Height,  2  ft.  3.16  in. 
She  is  carrying  a  basket  of  flowers  and  offering  a  rose. 

A  Young  Man. 
Statuette;  sketch;  plaster.    Thorvaldsen  Afuseum.   Height,  2  ft.  0.40  in. 
The  young  man  stands  leaning  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  with 
his  dog  beside  him.    The  right  hand  is  wanting- 

A  Recumbent  Lion. 

Statue;  marble.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  10.25  in.;  length,  5  ft. 
2.99  in. 

Rome,  1825.  Probably  intended  to  form  jiart  of  the  monument  to  l*rince  von 
Schwarzenberg.    (tee  p.  lO-'x)   Tlic  Museum  has  also  the  plaster  model. 


CATALOGUE. 


319 


II. 

BAS-RELIEFS. 
The  Baroness  von  Stamfe  and  her  Childken. 

Das-relief;  sketch ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  0.15  in. ;  length, 
3  ft.  3.37  in. 

This  composition  represents  an  interior  at  Nysoe,  in  the  chateau 
of  the  baron.  Thorvaldsen  is  leaning  upon  an  easel  on  which  is  the 
sketch  of  the  Apostle  Saint  Andrew.  Before  him  is  the  baroness, 
seated  with  her  two  daughters  beside  her.  On  the  other  side,  her 
little  son  is  playing  with  the  artist's  water-cup. 

Nysoe,  1S40. 

The  Baron  von  Stampe  and  his  Sons. 

Bas-relief;  sketch  ;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  2  ft.  0.16  in. ;  length, 
3  ft.  3.37  in. 

The  scene  is  laid  by  the  shore  of  the  sea,  near  which  the  barony 
of  Stampe  is  situated.  The  baron  has  just  been  taking  a  bath,  and 
is  drying  himself.  The  eldest  son,  also  nude,  is  riding  a  horse 
toward  the  water ;  another  son  is  returning  from  the  chase,  and  is 
displaying  his  game. 

Nysije,  1840. 

A  Mounted  Huntkr. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  5.33  in. ;  length,  3  ft. 
8.88  in. 

Clothed  in  a  lion's  skin,  the  end  of  which  is  drawn  over  his  head, 
he  carries  over  his  shoulder  a  spear  to  which  is  suspended  a  hare  he 
has  just  killed.    His  horse  is  going  at  a  brisk  trot. 

Rome,  1834. 

A  Mounted  Huntress. 

Bas-relief;  plaster.  Thorvaldsen  Museum.  Height,  3  ft.  4.15  in.;  length,  4  ft. 
1.21  in. 

She  is  dressed  in  a  short  tunic,  over  which  is  the  skin  of  a  wild 
boar ;  in  her  right  hand  she  holds  a  bow,  and  with  her  left  is  drawing 
an  arrow  from  her  quiver.  A  bird  she  has  killed  hangs  from  her 
belt,  and  a  dog  runs  beside  the  horse. 

Rome,  1834. 


320  WOBKS  OF  THOBVALDSEN. 


Victory  crowning  a  Woumded  Soldier. 

Bas-relief;  jjlaster. 

Ad  officer  wearing  a  modern  uniform  is  stretched  upon  the  ground, 
his  hand  still  grasping  his  sword.  Victory  holds  a  crown  above  the 
head  of  the  dying  man. 

Destination  unknown.  This  bas-relief  has  not  been  executed  in  marble.  A 
drawing  of  it  is  given  by  Herr  Thiele,  vol.  i,  plate  77. 


(Note  to  page  243.)    The  Christ 

A  copy  in  marble  of  Thorvaldsen's  statue  of  Clirist  stands  upon  the 
apex  of  the  pediment  of  the  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  in 
Harrison  Avenue,  Boston. 

(Note  to  page  272.)    Ganymede  and  the  Eagle. 

A  repetition  of  this  group,  in  marble  (height,  1  ft.  4.75  in.;  length, 
2  ft.  1.13  in.),  is  now  (1873)  in  possession  of  Mr.  William  Appleton,  of 
Boston     The  liistory  of  its  acquisition  is  thus  given  by  its  owner. 

"  The  Ganymede  of  Thorvaldsen  (reduced  size),  now  in  possession  of 
Mr.  William  Appleton,  of  Boston,  was  purchased  in  Rome,  at  the  studio 
of  the  sculptor,  in  1838.  Mrs.  Appleton  (then  Miss  Warren,  of  Boston) 
was  in  Rome  at  the  time,  with  her  father  and  family,  and  visited  the 
studio  of  Thorvaldsen  with  Mr.  Henry  Cabot,  who  purchased  the 
Ganymede,  and  presented  it  to  Mr.  Appleton,  the  father  of  the  present 
owner,  for  some  friendly  service  rendered." 


Cambridge :  Presswork  by  .John  Wilson  and  Son. 


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